Back in 1999 when Kevin Ashton, the executive director of Auto-ID Labs at MIT first used the concept of IoT, he could not have known that 20 years later it would become a reality. The interconnectivity between the real and the digital world is greater than ever and IoT is fueling innovation in nearly every part of our lives, from turning our homes smart to transforming entire industries. Here are 10 European startups making this real:

German Autolabs – The Berlin-based deep tech startup is developing AI for automotive solutions. Their product is a voice assistant hardware, Chris, the world´s first digital co-driver which enables drivers to safely operate their Android phones using voice and gestures while driving, including messaging, navigation, calls and music. With €9M in funding, German Autolabs will bring digital life to any driver and any car.

Neuron Soundware – The winner of the “Idea of the Year 2016” award by Vodafone is developing a detection system that discovers machine problems through sound analytics. Founded in 2016 in Prague, they leverage IoT and artificial intelligence to detect anomalies and predict defects and so far Airbus, Siemens, BMW, Skoda, MVV Energie, Bosch, LG and Volkswagen have signed up the client list.

Ambrosus – Ambrosus is building blockchain-powered IoT network for next-generation supply chain for food, by creating unique digital identities for every item and keeping track of it as it moves from farm to fork, with the blockchain ensuring the integrity of the data. Founded in 2016, this Tallinn-based startup was chosen as one of the three Rising food stars and joined the EIT Food Community.

Moona – Moona is revolutionising sleep with the first connected pillow, which regulates the body temperature throughout the night. The smart sleep system induces and deepens sleep, by adjusting head and neck temperature to improve sleep quality. The result: fall asleep faster, get better sleep and a gentle wake-up. Accompanying sleep tracker and environment sensors will provide analysis of the sleep quality as well.

Noomi – Noomi has developed a smart bracelet powered by AI for elderly care, a motion-sensitive wristband, ergonomically designed and built for 24-hour wear, with a battery life of a year, which continually learns an individual’s behavior and is optimized to their needs and conditions. Founded in 2015, their product was designed to improve the quality of life for the elderly and provide peace of mind for relatives and caregivers.

Nowi Energy – The Delft-based startup offers complete sensor platform powered by outside sources such as GSM and WiFi signals, or light and movement, enabling sensors to have an extremely long maintenance-free lifetime and simply become a ‘Plug & Forget’ solution. Nowi’s patented Energy Harvesting PMIC has been recognized worldwide and is a winner of a range of international innovation awards.

Phrasee – Phrasee developed a world-leading Natural Language Generation system, which uses AI to power email subject lines, Facebook and Instagram ads, and push notifications that outperform copy written by humans. The winner of the 2017’s Most Innovative AI Company by CB Insights has already helped Virgin, The Times and Domino get more clicks and conversions, so why not yours?

Prowler – Founded in 2016, this Cambridge-based startup is developing AI technologies for autonomous, adaptive and data efficient decision making in complex, dynamic and uncertain environments. Designed to revolutionize autonomous system design, Prowler is starting with application in the gaming industry, and slowly moving to autonomous vehicles, smart city simulations and robotics, with $15M in funding and a top-notch expert team.

Vilisto – Vilisto develops energy-saving solutions. Their flagship product is self-learning radiator thermostats, able to save up to 40% of energy, based on self-learning algorithms and fully automated functions thanks to integrated people-presence recognition. The Hamburg-based startup was founded in 2016 and supported by KIC InnoEnergy, is solving the office energy consumption problem.

Infraspeak – This Portuguese startup develops facility management solutions, helping companies with large infrastructures, such as hospitals, banks, hotels or markets to simplify technology, boost productivity and reduce bureaucracy, risks and costs. Their technical operations platform has raised total funding of $2m, with investors including Tencent Holdings, Construtech Ventures, Caixa Capital, 500 startups and Innovation Nest.

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