4 telcos, including Singtel, join forces to help startups expand globally

Photo credit: Singtel Innov8

Telcos around the world have increasingly been investing in startups. Small, nimble tech companies can help develop products that can benefit the telcos’ business in many ways, from customer service to actual communications tech nitty-gritty.

In that vein, Singapore’s Singtel has just announced from the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that it’s partnered with three other international telcos: Deutsche Telekom, Orange, and Telefónica.

Go Ignite is a a program to connect startups to audiences, resources, and knowledge outside their own markets.

The fruit of the alliance between the four telcos’ innovation arms (Singtel Innov8, Hub:raum, Orange Fab, and Telefónica Open Future, respectively) is called Go Ignite. It’s a program to connect startups from all over the world to audiences, resources, and knowledge outside of their own markets.

Up to five startups will be selected for the program. The application deadline is April 30. They will need to work on areas that are key to a telco’s business, including internet of things, cybersecurity, big data, content delivery, and customer experience.

The startups will have the chance to get mentorship, co-working spaces for up to six months, funding, and networking. They will also have access to the alliance members’ business units and their customers, which potentially opens up more opportunities for them.

“Combining our resources together, the Go Ignite program can give startups a better chance to scale across markets worldwide,” says Edgar Hardless, Singtel Innov8 CEO. “Given its deep connections and market insights in Asia where it is based, Innov8 is well positioned to further open doors to emerging markets in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Singtel Innov8 recently launched a similar startup program of its own called Innov8 Connect.