Fourth Annual QPrize Competition to Fund the World’s Next Groundbreaking Startups by Qualcomm Ventures
Curator: Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN
Qualcomm’s QPrize shows its philosophy on the mobile world
MightyText, an app that lets you text to any phone from any device, won Qualcomm’s $100,000 QPrize on Thursday evening. And while cool, the app and the other finalists also offer a glimpse into the way Qualcomm thinks about how mobility and connectivity will change our apps, our habits and eventually large portions of our world.
While MightyText is clearly an app that one associates with mobile phones — after all texting originated there — it’s really trying to build connective tissue between all of our platforms with broadband as the mechanism to do so. As many teens could tell you, there’s no difference between a text and an IM unless you consider the device. And thanks to IM applications getting loaded onto phones, there’s really no reason to involve your carrier — something that helped precipitate the changes in mobile data plans by AT&T and Verizon.
Mobile first, and everything else feeds into that.
The lesson here is the mobility isn’t a separate platform, it’s the primary platform for most apps and everything else should be built to tie back into it. This is a fundamental shift in worldview, and some companies like Spotify or MightyText get it, and some companies are struggling, such as Facebook. In an interview a few months back, Nagraj Kashyap, vice president of Qualcomm Ventures, explained how he thinks about mobility and how that influences his investments.
“In general on mobile phones, resources are more expensive and attention spans are less,” Kashyap says. “We like companies that are more creative and come at it without a legacy way of thinking. The app is based around the mobile phone: and we have a growing focus on how to leverage the smartphone and not worry about the PC online business.”
First, he’s focused Qualcomm Ventures more on early stage companies and he’s also broadened the geographic focus for Qualcomm Ventures. There are plenty of places in the world where wireline broadband is a luxury, but millions access the web on their smartphones. Given that, places like Brazil, China and India have a mobile first attitude already giving them an advantage. He’s also broadened the concept of what makes a “mobile company.”
Qualcomm Ventures invests in mobile companies, but some of its investments just like some of the QPrize finalists don’t really seem like a traditional mobile play. For example, Cloudessa, one of the finalists, is a cloud security company. But since many of the potential customers of the Cloudessa software are likely enterprise customers worried about their employees working on corporate apps on unsecured personal phones or tablets, Qualcomm’s interest makes sense.
Another area where Qualcomm is stretching the definition of mobile is in its healthcare investments. For years Qualcomm has been preaching the benefits of linking mobility and wireless devices to medical devices and healthcare in general. Although Ubiqi Health, a QPrize finalist, isn’t a novel medical device that takes advantage of connectivity, it does provide a mobile-first dashboard for managing a chronic condition, tying together two of Qualcomm Venture’s investment theses.
Some other elements of Qualcomm’s worldview and what it aims to invest in through its venture arm are companies that take advantage of the mobility of phones to gather data from users and then turn that data into useful services. Examples of this are Waze, which makes crowd-sourced traffic maps or RootMetrics, which measures wireless signal strengths on phones that run its software and then deliver coverage maps. (Update: To be clear, Qualcomm doesn’t have an investment in RootMetrics.) Kashyap is especially interested in using camera phones and augmented reality along with crowd sourcing to build up a repository of imagery that could help push the envelope on computer vision.
In general Qualcomm’s investments and QPrize finalists exemplify Qualcommm’s mobile-first worldview. And once that worldview is factored in, then the devil is in the details. Remembering that bandwidth is expensive and more limited means designing lightweight apps. Shorter attention spans mean that the lifetime of apps may be short-lived if they are entertainment-focused and that productivity apps will have to balance brevity with a business model (this means advertising that requires extra time and space) may be out.
It’s a new world, and Qualcomm is investing at the forefront of it.
Qualcomm Ventures Launches Fourth Annual QPrize Competition to Fund the World’s Next Groundbreaking Startups
January 15, 2014
Seven Regional Winners Secure US$100,000 each, with an additional US$150,000 Grand Prize
The deadline to submit business plans is April 18, 2014.
From the pool of competing entries, Qualcomm Ventures will select up to eight finalists from each of the seven regions. Finalists will attend a regional competition where each company will be evaluated by a panel of experts based on the merits of the technology innovation, its market potential, the company’s management capabilities and the attainability of the proposal’s financial projections.
The Qualcomm Ventures QPrize competition is now open. To get additional details, including background information on past winners, rules and regulations, submission guidelines, or to submit your business plan go to www.qprize.com.
About Qualcomm
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless technologies. Qualcomm Incorporated includes Qualcomm’s licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of its patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of Qualcomm’s engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of its products and services businesses, including its semiconductor business, QCT. For more than 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of digital communications, linking people everywhere more closely to information, entertainment and each other. For more information, visit Qualcomm’s website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.
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VIEW VIDEO
https://qualcommventures.com/media/videos/?channel=qprize
OVERVIEW
QPrize™ is Qualcomm Venture’s Seed investment competition. It’s designed to provide entrepreneurs their first level of funding so they can launch their idea into a successful start-up business. We are looking for bright, energetic and resourceful entrepreneurs who have a passion for bringing new technologies and services to market. Our goal is to have QPrize act as a catalyst for our winners, providing the initial capital to launch their great ideas and support the company to its first institutional funding round.
Evolution of QPrize
UPCOMING EVENTS
NEXTMED / MMVR21
Start Date:Wed. February 19, 2014
End Date:Sat. February 22, 2014
QUALCOMM VENTURES PARTICIPATION: SPEAKING
“Medicine Meets Virtual Reality” was conceived in 1991 to explore the healthcare utilization of rapidly evolving computing and communications technologies. Physicians, educators, scientists, and engineers gathered to assess how patient care and medical education could be enhanced by increasingly powerful and affordable computers and the expanding Internet. Each specialty brought its own skills and experience. By identifying and nurturing collaborative objectives, they understood that revolutionary tools could be created and existing practices transformed.
Two decades later, the curriculum has expanded beyond virtual reality to encompass a broader range of healthcare topics. The rebranded “NextMed” continues to unite experienced researchers with tomorrow’s leaders while they share current breakthroughs and strategize new directions. Their multidisciplinary expertise generates a unique perspective on what’s now and what’s next in medicine.
SPEAKING – JACK YOUNG, DIRECTOR – QUALCOMM LIFE FUND
Saturday morning (exact time TBD), February 22, 2014
LOCATION
Manhattan Beach Marriott
Manhattan Beach, CA
Conference Program
The program as of February 6 is available for download in PDF:
This update describes the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning plenary sessions, with their featured presentations. These complement the regular lecture tracks, poster sessions, workshops, panels, and exhibits that provide attendees a wealth of new research in IT-enabled tools and methods for healthcare.
Keep in mind that the Friday evening private tour and reception at USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies will be popular. Space is limited and advance registration necessary.
Note that the program may change in order to accommodate logistical requirements, although we aim to keep it as stable as possible.
Contact us (MMVR21-at-NextMed-dot-com) with any questions about the program.
Program at a Glance
Wednesday Afternoon, February 19
- 2014 TATRC Military Medical Simulation Public Briefing
Wednesday Evening
- Welcome Reception
Thursday Morning, February 20
- Poster Session: Rehabilitation & Aging; Psychology & Technology; Networking & Telemedicine; Surgical Simulator Systems; Surgical Simulator Design; Surgical Simulator Validation
- Plenary Session: Cregan, Gallagher, Scott, Debevec
- Exhibits
Thursday Afternoon
- Track A: Rehabilitation & Aging; Psychology & Technology; Integrating Intelligent Tutoring Systems in Virtual World Training/Learning
- Track B: Surgical Simulator Design; Surgical Simulation Metrics; Surgical Simulation Validation; GLSIM: Highly Demanded Full-VR Simulator as an Endoscopic Laser Surgery Curriculum
- Track C: The Federal Medical Simulation and Training Consortium
- Track D: Extending Extensible 3D (X3D): from Haptic-based Medical Training to Clinical Applications
- Track E: Share Your Ideas with the Government
Thursday Evening
- Networking Social: Innovate NextMed
Friday Morning, February 21
- Poster Session: Learning & Technology; Simulator Design & Development; Simulator Systems; Information-Guided Therapies; Imaging & Visualization; Robotics; Sensors; Haptics; Modeling
- Plenary Session: Carmena, Coleman, Palanker, Berger, Mohr, Satava Award
- Exhibits
Friday Afternoon
- Track A: Imaging & Visualization; Information-Guided Therapies; Robotics; Interfaces; Haptics
- Track B: Simulator Validation; Simulator Systems; Simulator Design; Learning & Technology; Fundamentals of Robotic Surgery: Development and Validation of an Online Curriculum and New Psychomotor Testing Device
- Track C: Novel Approaches to the Study of Medical Skill Decay
- Track D: Simulation Development
Friday Evening
- Tour of USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies (Optional)
Saturday Morning, February 22
- Plenary Session: Satava, Hillman, Patrick, Sanchez, Young
Saturday Afternoon
- Track A: Modeling
- Track B: The Wide Area Virtual Environment: Lessons Learned
- Track C: 3D Printing for Rapid Prototyping
- Closing Mixer
Thursday Plenary Presenters
Patrick C. Cregan FRACS
University of Sydney, Nepean Clinical School
“(Un?) Affordable Care”
Paul Debevec PhD
Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California
“Advances in Photoreal Digital Humans in Film and in Real-Time”
Anthony G. Gallagher PhD DSc
ASSERT for Health Research Group, University College Cork, Ireland
“Simulation Fidelity: More Than Experience and Mere Repetition?”
Stephen H. Scott PhD
Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University
“Potential of Robots as Next-Generation Technology for Clinical Assessment of Neurological Disorders”
Friday Plenary Presenters
Theodore W. Berger PhD
Center for Neural Engineering, University of Southern California
“Human-Computer Interface Technology” (Session Discussant)
Jose M. Carmena PhD
Electrical Engineering & Neuroscience, University of California, Berkeley
“Closed-Loop Design Strategies for Brain-Machine Interfaces”
Todd P. Coleman PhD
Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego
“Wearable Wireless Sensors and Analytics in the Cloud to Advance Human-Computer Interaction”
Catherine Mohr MD MSME
Intuitive Surgical
“Robotics as a Catalyst for Disruption”
Daniel Palanker PhD
Ophthalmology & Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University
“Photovoltaic Restoration of Sight to Patients Blinded by Retinal Degeneration”
Saturday Plenary Presenters
Elizabeth M.C. Hillman PhD
Laboratory for Functional Optical Imaging, Columbia University
“Hyperspectral and Dynamic Contrast: What your Eyes Can’t See”
Kevin Patrick MD MS
Center for Wireless & Population Health Systems, University of California, San Diego
“Modeling the Exposome: A Whole Health Information Approach to Support Personalized Population Health”
Justin Sanchez PhD
Defense Sciences Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
“Next-Generation Neurotechnology at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency”
Richard M. Satava MD FACS
Department of Surgery, University of Washington
“Directed Energy Surgery: Dawning of the Next Generation of Surgery”
Jack Young
Qualcomm Life Fund, Qualcomm Ventures
“Digital Health Investment”
SOURCE
SXSW
Event Date:March 9, 2014
QUALCOMM VENTURES PARTICIPATION: SPEAKING
For the first time in 50 years, the health care industry is facing a major disruption and is moving toward an at-risk/ACO model where opportunities are driven by transition. With the growing aging population and increase in chronic diseases in the U.S., health service providers are focusing on collaborated and coordinated care to create efficiencies, reduce readmissions, and ultimately, lower costs. Innovative medical technologies and big data will play a key role in the continuum of care, providing a real-time and holistic view of the patient’s health history to better inform decisions and help manage care. As health and technology continue to merge, investors have become more interested in funding digital health, giving startups a great opportunity for growth. In this panel session, some of the most prolific investors in digital health will discuss what excites them about the future of health care and why now is the time to reinvent the industry through innovation and collaboration.
SPEAKING – JACK YOUNG, DIRECTOR – QUALCOMM LIFE FUND
TITLE: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HEALTH AND TECH MEET UP?
DATE: SUNDAY, MARCH 9
MODERATOR: JACK YOUNG QUALCOMM LIFE FUND
PANELISTS:
- Nina Nashif HealthBox
- Ted Maidenberg The Social + Capital Partnership
- Christiaan Vorkink True Ventures
LOCATION
Startup Village, Hilton Austin Downtown, 4th Floor
Israel Innovation Conference 2014
Start Date:Tue. May 20, 2014 8:00 am
End Date:Thu. May 22, 2014 5:00 pm
QUALCOMM VENTURES PARTICIPATION: SPEAKING
The first in the world where Biomed and High-tech will join hands in a unique and exciting new international conference format.
SPEAKING – JACK YOUNG, DIRECTOR – QUALCOMM LIFE FUND
LOCATION
Tel Aviv Fairgrounds
SOURCE
2012pharmaceutical
Amandeep Kaur
Aashir Awan, Phd
Abhisar Anand
Adina Hazan
Alan F. Kaul, PharmD., MS, MBA, FCCP
alexcrystal6
anamikasarkar
apreconasia
aviralvatsa
David Orchard-Webb, PhD
danutdaagmailcom
Demet Sag, Ph.D., CRA, GCP
Dror Nir
dsmolyar
Ethan Coomber
evelinacohn
Gail S Thornton
Irina Robu
jayzmit48
jdpmd
jshertok
kellyperlman
Ed Kislauskis
larryhbern
Madison Davis
marzankhan
megbaker58
ofermar2020
Dr. Pati
pkandala
ritusaxena
Rick Mandahl
sjwilliamspa
Srinivas Sriram
stuartlpbi
Dr. Sudipta Saha
tildabarliya
vaishnavee24
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