Infra-Tech – Page 13
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Enterprise (B2B)
Telefónica drone-security platform takes flight
Operator comes out of trial phase with creation of new international platform. Number of clients said to already be in pipeline, with UK-based drone control specialist one active user. Speciality in security-oriented use-cases emphasised.
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Partnerships & Alliances
Telefónica sews up Hyperledger Fabric agreement
Telefónica Tech signs collaborative agreement with blockchain consortium Alastria, which will see the operator build and manage a DLT network. T. Tech continues to play with DLT hosting service offering, building on Hyperledger experience.
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Innovation (R&D)
Telefónica inaugurates cyber-tech lab in Valencia
Multipurpose research and development unit made public a year after get-go, with local cyber subsidiary playing key role. Telefónica’s innovation network in Valencian Community expanding, increasing engagement with regional partners.
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Premium
5G and edge added to activation programme
Wayra Acceleration Programme expanding to seek out edge innovation, and leverage Spain’s rapid 5G rollout.
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Innovation (R&D)
Shaadow steps out of Telefónica’s innovation doorway
Startup lands cash-injection after internal incubation process. Spinoff equipped with ElevenPaths patented tech. Group execs keeping close-eye on operations.
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Venturing & Investments
Elsewhere in Telefónica Venturing: Wayra buys into retail
Wayra doubles up on retail and fintech focus. Brazilian portfolio trimmed further with LinkApi exit.
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Venturing & Investments
Payflow banks Wayra backing
Salary-on-demand startup Payflow added €400,000 to its Seed round via a strategic investor trio including Wayra. Wayra family grows but with scaleups now in the crosshairs.
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Venturing & Investments
Wayra backed LinkApi lands a buyer
Telefónica’s Brazilian scale-up hothouse exits LinkApi through Semantix acquisition. Wayra continues transition to later-stage startups with fourth exit in just over a year.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Telefónica Infra-Tech: ElevenPaths banks growth in Spain
Telefónica Tech’s IoT & Big Data unit tags contract extensions, while ElevenPaths expands its Spanish order book.
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Products & Services
Telefónica teams with IBM to re-wild Cloud Garden
Operator gives digitisation platform a spruce up with Red Hat OpenShift technology. Update provides ‘lingua franca’ to support smooth adoption of digitalisation strategies by Telefónica’s corporate customers.
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Venturing & Investments
Wayra plants further capital in Ireland’s SalesOptimize
Ireland-based startup given (another) leg-up by Telefónica’s incubator hub.
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M&A
Telefónica sells infra biz to American Tower
Telxius finds a home at US infrastructure giant. Transaction expected to wipe €4.6bn off Telefónica net debt.
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Consumer (B2C)
Movistar steps up smart-home drive
Longstanding partner and stakeholder CaixaBank namechecked as partner on TV-based payment solution. Group’s smart-home play given potential leg up by pandemic, with expanded Living Apps catalogue.
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Venturing & Investments
Tech Ventures looks to unlock Alias Robotics’ full potential
Alias becomes tenth addition to new investment vehicle’s portfolio. EC-backed robot “antivirus” solution to be put on show at Bavarian cybersecurity lab. Importance of cybersecurity solutions for autonomous robots illustrated.
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Venturing & Investments
Telefónica on board with 5G emergency comms project
AI to be leveraged by EC-funded research group as a means of providing enhanced 5G network coverage for emergency services. Group building ecosystem around responsible use of AI. Another example of operator working the axis between e-health and connected-vehicles.
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Strategy & Change
Telefónica Tech changes shape ahead of carve-out
Reorganisation sees cybersecurity and cloud businesses merge. Telefónica IoT & Big Data Tech registered as a Telefónica Tech company.
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Venturing & Investments
Wayra backs Brazilian e-learning startup Alicerce Educação
Startup accelerator Wayra highlights investment in one of local operating business Vivo’s targeted growth areas. Capital will go towards tackling educational divide in Brazil, including via recent strategic tie-up.
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Strategy & Change
Telefónica Tech readies for formation
Group brings in specialists to finalise Tech unit creation, with three-pronged subsidiaries beginning to take shape. Formal structure steadily catching up with well-established tech intent.
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Partnerships & Alliances
O2 e-health partner Visionable ramps up operations
Startup enabling prompt treatment lands NHS contract on the back of successful Telefónica-backed pilot. Group renewing interest in ICT health sector.
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M&A
Cellnex open to Telxius grab
TowerCo CEO cheerfully talks up prospect of acquiring stake in Group’s infrastructure business. Idea of Telefónica-Cellnex tie mooted previously — and never totally quashed. Telefónica’s weakening debt profile may prompt inorganic action around infrastructure.