Banco Santander and Telefónica announced this morning the winning startups and scaleups of the Santander X Global Challenge | New era of Customer Experience ̧ launched in collaboration with the Oxentia Foundation last October. This challenge, which has brought together companies from 11 countries, has aimed to identify the most innovative solutions that improve user experience, personalization, omnichannel, quality of the on-demand network, or anti-fraud security measures.
These solutions integrate technology and new digital approaches to transform the relationship with customers and have had access to advanced tools such as Telefónica’s Sandbox, leveraging the capabilities of Open Gateway, the telco sector initiative led by the GSMA that transforms telecommunications networks into developer-ready platforms, allowing companies to access advanced network capabilities.
The six selected companies – three from Spain, two from the United Kingdom and one from the United States – have been announced during the celebration of the 4YFN event in Barcelona, the annual meeting of reference for the startup ecosystem associated with the Mobile World Congress.
Winning startups:
- EV8 Switch (UK): Software-based solution that helps businesses and consumers in their transition to electric vehicles, streamlining the process from decision-making to charging and energy efficiency.
- Arcube (UK): Data analytics platform that enables travel providers to generate revenue through passengers’ personalized loyalty programs.
- Lumen (United States): offers highly personalized customer service and technical support, with generative artificial intelligence, which allows for fast and seamless integration into business.
Winning scaleups:
- Froged (Spain): An omnichannel platform that centralizes and personalizes customer interactions across multiple channels, turning customer service into a revenue stream.
- WIVI Vision (Spain): Technology based on 3D video games with artificial intelligence to diagnose and treat visual problems in children.
- 3DDigital Venue (Spain): Innovative 3D visualization tool that improves ticket sales and venue management for events, optimizing operations and interaction with fans.
Asier González, Director of Corporate and Institutional Business at Santander Spain, stressed that currently “the customer experience is one of the fundamental pillars of business success” and congratulated the participants for their work transforming this experience in the new digital era.
González recalled that Banco Santander aspires to be the best open platform for financial services, “with a multi-channel offer, with personalised products and services adapted to the needs of those who trust us. And to achieve this, putting the customer at the centre and applying all our technological, operational, and innovative capacity to achieve the best experience is absolutely key”.
David del Val, Global Head of Open Gateway at Telefónica, says: “Open Gateway APIs are providing a new range of possibilities for startups and scaleups to develop innovative solutions that transform the customer experience. We are very excited about the success of the challenge launched last October, where entrepreneurs have reached a high level of innovation and have been able to harness the power of Telefónica’s networks to create more personalized and seamless experiences.”
The winners received €120,000 in prizes: €30,000 for the three startups and €90,000 for the three scaleups. They will have access to Santander X 100, the global community with the most prominent Santander X companies, and will be able to connect with Fintech Station, Banco Santander’s Open Innovation area.
Through Santander X, Banco Santander reinforces its non-financial offer and its commitment to supporting and growing startups and scaleups at different stages, combining challenges and prizes with a wide range of free training, special discounts and exclusive networking opportunities, among other things.
Santander and its support for education, employability, and entrepreneurship
Santander maintains a firm commitment to progress and inclusive and sustainable growth with a pioneering and consolidated commitment to education, employability, and entrepreneurship, which it has been developing for almost 30 years and distinguishes it from other financial institutions in the world. The bank has allocated more than 2,400 million euros for these purposes and has delivered more than 3.7 million euros in grants and scholarships to individuals and companies through agreements with more than 1,100 universities and entities.
Telefónica
Telefónica, through Wayra, its Corporate Venture Capital Corporation, has been promoting innovation and driving progress for more than 15 years by investing in startups and facilitating their collaboration with organizations to generate impact, as well as working on the search for innovative startup solutions that allow them to address the great challenges they have as a company, as an industry and as a key actor in social progress.
Oxentia Foundation, and its commitment to innovation and global entrepreneurship
The Oxentia Foundation was created to further Oxentia’s founding goal: to address global inequalities through innovation and entrepreneurship activities. Oxentia has organised international entrepreneurship competitions and awards, as well as providing advice to entrepreneurs to promote the commercialisation of science and technology-based projects, with an impact on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Oxentia grew out of Oxford University’s technology transfer company, Oxford University Innovation, with the aim of providing specialized innovation management services to public and private sector clients around the world. Its approach is underpinned by Oxford’s strong heritage, based on more than 30 years of experience in supporting academic innovation and entrepreneurship in more than 70 countries.
