IBM, Indiegogo and Arrow Electronics Partner to Fuel the Next Generation of Internet of Things Startups

Entrepreneurs to Get Free Access to IBM's Watson IoT Platform and Discounts on Cloud Services

MUNICH, Feb. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a partnership with Indiegogo and Arrow Electronics (NYSE: ARW) to help bring new Internet of Things (IoT) ideas to life. This collaboration brings IBM's Watson IoT platform and cloud services together with ideation to production services from Arrow Electronics and Indiegogo – the world's largest crowd sourced funding platform with more than $1.1 billion raised.

Now, qualified Indiegogo entrepreneurs will have no-charge access to IBM Watson IoT Platform via Bluemix for an unlimited amount of time, giving them access to more than 160 industry-leading cloud services to incorporate ready-to-use capabilities, such as artificial intelligence, Blockchain, advanced data analytics and cyber security into their latest IoT inventions. In addition, qualified startups will have access to IBM's global network of technical and industry expertise, education, mentoring and enterprise customers and business partners, all of which can help to bring new and innovative IoT products to market quickly. 

"We're very excited to be partnering with Arrow and IBM to help entrepreneurs bring their wildest IoT dreams to life," said David Mandelbrot, CEO of Indiegogo. "We know that fundraising is only one piece of the entrepreneurial puzzle, and by working together with IBM and Arrow we'll be able to continue making it easier for entrepreneurs to bring their ideas all the way from concept to market."

Experts predict that by 2022, the IoT landscape will be worth $14.2 trillion.¹ A critical driver to this growth will be entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses which, while armed with ideas, lack the resources and skills to develop these next-generation IoT innovations and bring them to market. 

Early examples of Arrow Certified Indiegogo IoT startup projects include:

• Fitly, which created Smart Plate, the first intelligent nutrition platform that instantly analyzes and tracks what you eat. An industry first, Smart Plate was developed with support from Arrow and IBM Cloud, and was successfully funded on Indiegogo.
• PlayDate, a startup that launched on Indiegogo, created the first smart ball for pets that lets owners interact with their dogs and cats from anywhere in the world. The PlayDate team ran the highest grossing pet tech crowdfunding campaign to date, but used Indiegogo for much more than just funding. They were one of the first campaigns to get Arrow-certified, a badge of approval on their manufacturing plans, and they received $100,000 in flash funding as well as engineering design support. "Arrow and Indiegogo's support was incredibly valuable," said Kevin Li, CEO at PlayDate. "Our campaign with Indiegogo opened doors with partners and acted as market validation for investors. Indiegogo and Arrow partnering with IBM will be a huge benefit for entrepreneurs using the platform."

Through this partnership, IBM, Indiegogo and Arrow are removing key barriers and providing the expertise, resources and funding that entrepreneurs need to develop innovative new connected products and quickly and cost-effectively bring them to market. Combining IBM's powerful cognitive capabilities with Indiegogo's entrepreneur platform and Arrow's end-to-end technology design and production expertise will rapidly increase the volume and quality of IoT devices in market and help fuel a new generation of entrepreneurs.

"Entrepreneurs and startups play a vital role in creating the next generation of businesses - their drive, innovation and passion for bringing new ideas to life is particularly important in building the IoT," said Harriet Green, General Manager Watson IoT. "We are thrilled to partner with Indiegogo and Arrow Electronics to accelerate IoT innovation and development around the world working hand in hand with some of the best and brightest entrepreneurs, developers and startups to build an even better IoT."  

In addition to IBM's benefits, Arrow provides qualified Indiegogo campaigns with up to $500,000 in benefits, such as component parts, online product design and prototyping tools, comprehensive technical reviews with Arrow engineers, manufacturing and supply chain services and sustainable recycling. As the only global technology company capable of providing comprehensive, sensor-to-sensor, full IoT product lifecycle solutions, Arrow is uniquely positioned to guide the biggest names in technology, and startups and makers alike, along their IoT production journey.

"IBM will take our groundbreaking collaboration with Indiegogo to a whole new level, helping us reach more entrepreneurs and get their innovative products to market quickly and cost-effectively," said Arrow's Chief Digital Officer Matt Anderson. "As one of the world's largest providers of electronic and IT products and services in the world, Arrow has the breadth of resources and depth of expertise to successfully shepherd promising entrepreneurs along their path to market. Arrow engineers around the world are eager to collaborate with Indiegogo entrepreneurs on cutting-edge tech designs that incorporate the best that IBM's Watson IoT and cloud services have to offer."

IBM made the announcement at its first-ever Genius of Things Summit at the company's Watson IoT headquarters in Munich, where customers, partners and influencers gathered to examine how Watson clients are implementing IoT solutions that drive exceptional outcomes. Around the globe, IBM is working with more than 6,000 clients, across industries, to help them truly realize the benefits of IoT. For more information on IBM Watson IoT, please visit: www.ibm.com/iot or follow @IBMGot and @IBMIoT on Twitter.

Originally launched as a crowdfunding platform, Indiegogo is the place for entrepreneurs to move their ideas quickly from concept to market. Entrepreneurs on Indiegogo are able to showcase their ideas directly to users, take orders for products early in their lifecycle and ultimately build direct relationships with their first customers. Indiegogo is the platform of choice for early stage entrepreneurs and the creative teams of some of the most successful consumer product companies in the world. The company was launched in 2008 and is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Los Angeles and New York. For more information, visit Indiegogo.com and follow us at Twitter.com/indiegogo and Facebook.com/indiegogo. 

For more information on this new program visit: https://www.arrow.com/indiegogo/ibm

Media Contacts:

Indiegogo
John Eddy
212-319-3451, ext. 648
john@goldin.com

Arrow Electronics
Thorsten Hecking
PR & Media Relations Manager EME
thecking@arroweurope.com
+49.6102.5030.8638

IBM
Doug Fraim
+1 617 501 6376
dfraim@us.ibm.com

¹ WSJ, The Internet of Things: The Next Industrial Revolution http://bit.ly/2culQJr

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SOURCE IBM