Deutsche Telekom, Facebook pick startups for TIP acclerator

Deutsche Telekom has teamed up with Facebook and the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) to launch the TIP Ecosystem Acceleration Center (TEAC) Germany and support startups that aim to develop Germany’s telecoms infrastructure. The partners have selected the startups Airrays, BISDN and Imec’s 60 GHz technology team as the first three startups to receive backing from TEAC Germany, including access to the latest network infrastructure and hardware, testing facilities and co-working spaces as well as networking opportunities with TEAC network engineers and investors. 

Airrays is a Dresden-based company that develops smart antennas with Massive MIMO for the use of 5G to enable beam-forming and tracing, while the Berlin Institute for Software-Defined Networks (BISDN) has developed generic acceleration architecture for the cost-efficient scaling of Network Function Virtualization (NFV) infrastructure. Imec’s 60 GHz team got its start in Imec’s innovation hub in Belgium and is working to commercialise open and interoperable, electronically-steered 60 GHz antenna technology. Imec’s team has yet to choose a name for its startup, said Telekom. 

A group of German investors including Capnamic Ventures, Cinco Capital and High-Tech Gruenderfonds have likewise agreed to provide up to EUR 100 million in equity capital for the global TEAC investor network in the UK, France and South Korea, said Telekom.