Wales’ only rail dedicated is gearing up for cohort 2 demo day. On November 13th, 11 start-ups will pitch their solutions to TfWR and Keolis Amey stakeholders. These pitches will showcase ideas that have been developed over the 11 week Innovation Accelerator Programme, to improve Welsh Rail.
This digital demo day, originally scheduled to take place in Cardiff, will be live streamed via Youtube. It will see the outputs from the 11 innovative tech start-ups that have participated in this Welsh Rail dedicated accelerator programme.
Lab by Transport for Wales (TfWL) second cohort has spanned 11 weeks. In this time, start-ups have worked closely with TfWR and Keolis Amey stakeholders. Start-ups have also worked along side Alt Labs, the innovation provider of TfWL.
This collaboration has helped start-ups develop a unique MVP (minimum viable product) to tackle real problems identified by TfWR senior management.
These MVP’s are a showcase of solutions that can solve real world business problems that TfWR currently faces. Solutions range from food & beverage in-seat ordering to advanced AI & deep learning technology.
On November 13th, at 13:30, demo day will see the 11 startups from cohort 2 pitch their solutions and business cases to a judging panel. Successful startups will be vying for a contract of work, along with cash prizes.
We would like to invite you to our demo day, to see these solutions in actions for yourself.
To Join
Link to register > https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lab-by-transport-for-wales-cohort-2-virtual-demo-day-tickets-125021355239
Date: Friday 13th November
Time: 13:30-16:00
Agenda
- Welcome from CEO of Alt Labs Imran Anwar
- Opening Speech from Keolis Group
- Startup Pitches
- Keynote
- Startup Pitches
- Awards
After the event finishes, we will have networking opportunities for you to speak to the startups direct. Originally, when the event was due to take place in person, we had planned to have exhibition stands.
We are capturing this same spirit, through a virtual channel.
We will be hosting channels for each startup via Microsoft Teams allowing you converse with the startups directly. This will be a chance to ask any questions and find out more about their solution.
Link to register > https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lab-by-transport-for-wales-cohort-2-virtual-demo-day-tickets-125021355239
The Startups
Window Seater
Window Seater offers engaging, geo-located content that is relevant to the customers’ journey, attracting people to leisureroutes and alleviating boredom along the way by connecting them to the world outside their window.
Discover more here: https://windowseater.com/
Follow Window Seater: https://twitter.com/Window_Seater
Spatial Cortex
Manual handling injuries are a major contributor to lost-time injuries in the rail industry. Given that TfW has recently taken over CVL infrastructure, it is crucial that necessary steps are in place to remove and prevent any likely manual handling injuries.
Staff who carry out tasks trackside, in maintenance and in depots, who carry out lifting, carrying and manipulating materials & tools in awkward postures are likely sufferers. Spatial Cortex is developing a revolutionary wearable technology, which will enable quantitative assessments and provide deeper insights to prevent manual handling injuries while overcoming the drawbacks of current risk-assessment practices.
Discover more: https://www.spatialcortex.xyz/
Follow: https://twitter.com/spatialcortex
Yoello
Yoello is looking to design and implement contactless payment solutions for train operators to provide their customers with easy, efficient and safe methods of purchasing food & drinks from their seats.
The whitelabel technology uses QR Codes to launch an app-less solution which to provide a streamlined customer experience.”
Discover more: https://www.yoello.com/
Follow: https://twitter.com/yoellopay
Route Konnect
Route Konnect is working to solve anonymously counting and tracking passengers at trains and stations for TfWR. This information can then be provided in real-time to provide live data to the front line and passengers, and allow passengers on trains and stations to make more informed decisions surrounding their travels.
Their MVP will include passenger counting, seat occupation detection, as well as checking social distancing and mask compliance between passengers. This will allow stations to test layout changes to improve passenger flow with real-time information.
Discover more: https://routekonnect.com/
Follow: https://twitter.com/RouteKonnect
You.Smart.Thing
You. Smart. Thing. are addressing the challenge of providing door-to-door journey planning.
Building on the ‘Travel Assistant’ service, You.SmartThing’s MVP will help Transport for Wales Rail customers make door-to-door journeys by combining their journey preferences, bespoke routings, multi-modal transport data, real-time updates, and by providing customers a personalised rail-optimised journey plan.
Discover more: https://yousmartthing.com/
Follow: https://twitter.com/yousmartthing
Urban CSR
The “InfoWorks Hub” enables real time information exchange and live 2-way communication with passengers possible.
Providing a duty of care, especially at unmanned stations, therefore ensuring all passengers have the same access to help, information and communication regardless of whether they possess an internet enabled device or not.
Discover more: https://www.urbancsrgroup.com/
Follow: https://twitter.com/urbancsrgroup
Razor Secure
RazorSecure can provide early indication of cyber attacks, fulfilling a critical requirement in standard cyber security frameworks: detection of and response to attacks.
RazorSecure is looking to deploy our solution for a limited basis on-board a TfWR train(s) via an existing integration on the Icomera routers that TfW uses for WiFi connectivity. Based on the data RazorSecure collects, they will be able to demonstrate the current level of cyber threats we see on the networks today and also deploy some of our new asset management technology to assist, in particular, with the identification and tracking of maintenance assets (laptops/tablets) which are in use.
This would inform TfW as to the value of such a solution when deliver of the new digital train fleet commences, and the potential of the asset management tools to save time and money, and provide improved visibility of a broader set of operational systems.
Discover more: https://www.razorsecure.com/
Follow: https://twitter.com/razorsecure
Shapes AI
Social distancing guidance helps us all stay safe from COVID-19, however, monitoring and managing adherence to these protocols has proven to be a difficult, time-consuming and manual process.
Shapes AI’s MVP produces a ‘Social Distancing Score’ so TfWRail can understand how well passengers and staff are keeping their distance from one another throughout the day, week or month.
It works by analysing camera feeds with cutting-edge computer vision and machine learning algorithms.
Discover more: https://www.shapes.ai/
Follow: https://twitter.com/shapesai
Wordnerds
Wordnerds AI-powered text analytics solution helps brands to understand the true voice of their customer. Their solutions automates the understanding of language – at scale, and irrespective of vocabulary, sarcasm or the liberal use of emojis 🤓
They provide insights teams with the tools to draw genuinely actionable insights from the numerous customer communication channels, to deliver step-change improvements in Customer Experience.
Wordnerds are working with CX Teams in TfW to provide a single, holistic view of their customer voice – linking data from social, complaints, surveys and live-network feedback. Using bleeding-edge AI and old-school linguistics, Wordnerds will support the CX team to report meaningful insights to the people it matters most to.
Discover more: https://www.wordnerds.ai/
Follow: https://twitter.com/word_nerdy
EMU Analytics
Generate real, actionable and timely business insights from big location data in real time.
Discover more: https://www.emu-analytics.com/#
Follow: https://twitter.com/emu_info
Doopoll
Real time polling solution to gather instant results.
Discover more: https://doopoll.co/
Follow: https://twitter.com/doopoll
From the Team
Head of Marketing at Alt Labs, Adam Foster, said: “We’re really looking forward to cohort 2 demo day, not only to see the exciting projects that our start-ups have been working on, but also the challenges that they have overcame caused by COVID-19 and remote working. Despite these hurdles, every start-up has done a fantastic job of participating in workshops, engaging with stakeholders and getting their heads down to develop solutions that will improve rail services across Wales and borders.”
Barry Lloyd, Head of Customer Experience and Innovation at Transport for Wales Rail, said: “It’s been great working with the cohort and seeing the ideas flourish into products and services that will meet our business needs, both now and in the future.”
Cohort 1 of the programme proved to be extremely successful, with Transport for Wales Rail advancing with three businesses chosen as the winners. Brite Yellow Ltd, Passage Way and CleverCiti were each awarded funds to develop their products further, ranging from wayfinding apps to parking solutions for customers.
You can register to attend our cohort 2 demo day here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lab-by-transport-for-wales-cohort-2-virtual-demo-day-tickets-125021355239
For coverage or questions surrounding cohort 2 of TfWL or the demo day please contact Adam Foster.
