Fifteen high-tech start-up companies, specialising in areas as diverse as cargo screening and artificial intuition software, have been selected as semi-finalists in the Global Security Challenge.
This month, the shortlisted companies will present their business plans during the semi-finals being hosted by the partner universities of the GSC: the National University of Singapore, University of Kent’s Brussels School of International Studies and University of Maryland. The panel of judges will consist of leaders including the Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) of the US Government, Smiths Detection, Booz Allen Hamilton, PegasusBridge Fund Management and Cap Vista.
The six finalists will then get the opportunity to battle it out at the grand final at London Business School on November 13. The winner will secure a US$500,000 grant and mentorship from venture capitalists.
Breadth of innovation
The directors of the GSC, Simon Schneider and Janeen Chupa, said: “This year, we saw a record number of submissions from innovators around the world, originating from universities, research labs, corporate spin-offs and their own garages. The breadth of the innovations from all kinds of disciplines showed us the value of hosting this competition to empower people with ideas.”
The Global Security Challenge was founded by MBA students at London Business School and is the first global competition to feed the growing market for new security technologies. The GSC is sponsored by TSWG of the US Government, Accenture, Smiths Detection, PegasusBridge Fund Management, BAE Systems and the US Department of Homeland Security, among others.
Last year’s winner, NoblePeak Vision, developed innovative night vision technology that operates over the visible short-wave infrared spectrum. It is designed to be used to help detect and identify people in conflict zones, even when there is zero ambient lighting.
THIS YEAR’S SEMI-FINALISTS
Europe:
- Arktis Radiation Detectors (Switzerland) – capability to detect and localise fast-neutron radiation for faster and more accurate cargo screening
- Beyond Encryption Technologies (Ireland) – remote control of devices to actively protect sensitive data
- Intuview (Israel) – “artificial intuition” software for real-time exploitation of Arabic-language documents to determine contents of intelligence value
- Metaforic (UK) – prevents hackers from modifying or subverting code even when a system is compromised
- QCC Technologies/Blackthorne (UK) – software suite for incident assessment and response management
America:
- Brain Fingerprinting Laboratories (Washington) – novel method of using brainwaves to detect concealed information stored in memory
- Privaris (Virginia) – intelligent badge holder that utilises the concept of personal, mobile biometric identity verification
- SensorWare Systems (California) – intelligent sensor infrastructures for active, real-time situational awareness and resource management
- TRX Systems (Maryland) – technological breakthrough for tracking first responders both outdoors and within complex structures
- VideoIQ (Massachusetts) – described as “world’s first intelligent surveillance camera with video recording”
Asia:
- G. Tsulukidze Mining Institute of Georgia (Georgia) – wireless system for detecting explosions and activating protective devices in underground environments
- Hiperware (Singapore) – real-time decision making software that leverages cluster computing power for analysing enterprise processes to actively identify errors and monitor process effectiveness
- Lockstep Technologies (Australia) – novel smartcard and identity technology that allows for secure and anonymous internet transactions
- Precision Sensors Instrumentation (Armenia) – single layer flat-coil-oscillator absolute-position sensors enable enhanced prediction of earthquakes and detection of armed activity in zero visibility settings
- Veritide Limited (New Zealand) – hand-held screening device capable of detecting anthrax and other bacterial spores within minutes.