Wayra
{{Infobox company
| name = Wayra
| logo = Imagotipo Wayra.jpg
| image_alt = Wayra logo
| founded = {{start date and age|2011}} in Colombia
| founder = José María Álvarez-Pallete
| website = {{url|wayra.com}}
}}
Wayra is a technological innovation hub, which was started in Latin America and Spain in 2011 as an initiative of Telefónica's chief executive in Europe, José María Álvarez-Pallete.{{citation|last=Solon |first=Olivia |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-03/07/wayra |title=Telefónica invites UK startups to join accelerator programme Wayra |magazine=Wired |date=7 March 2012 }}{{citation |chapter=6. Creating a talent eco-system |title=Managing Talent: Recruiting, Retaining and Getting the Most from Talented People |author=Michel Syrett, Marion Devine |publisher=Profile Books |year=2014 |isbn=9781847658104}} Wayra operates through 11 hubs in 10 countries within Telefónica’s footprint: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Germany, Mexico, Peru, Spain, the United Kingdom and Venezuela.
History
Wayra started in Colombia in mid 2011 and expanded to ten more countries that year.{{citation |page=49 |title=50 Ways to Find Funding for Your Business |author=Emma Jones |publisher=Harriman House |year=2013 |isbn=9780857192905}}
In 2013, there were 14 Wayra academies in 12 countries in Europe and Latin America.{{cite web|author=John Kennedy |url=http://www.siliconrepublic.com/start-ups/item/33605-telefonicas-wayra-accelera |title=Telefónica's Wayra accelerator in Dublin reveals shortlist of start-ups for second intake |publisher=Silicon Republic |date=25 July 2013}}
In March 2015, Telefónica closed down the Wayra in Prague, as a part of Telefónica's general exit from that market.{{cite web|url=http://www.wayracee.com/wayra-cee-to-end-operations-in-march/ |title=Wayra CEE to end operations in March |publisher=Wayra CEE}}
In 2015, Volo, which had been started at the Munich Wayra, was sold to the Rocket Internet.{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/04/16/volo/ |title=Rocket Internet Acquires Restaurant Delivery Service Volo |publisher=Techcrunch}}
Its UK branch is based in London and was managed by Gary Stewart until 2019. A new country manager, Bruno Vidal Sa De Moraes, took over in February 2020.{{Cite news |last1=Margolis |first1=Jonathan |date=21 June 2019 |title=Most start-up businesses are doomed |language=en-GB |website=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/2fc38a50-9368-11e9-8ff4-699df1c62544 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2019-07-02}}
Wayra UK has partnered up with a healthcare company Novartis to support Health Tech start-ups,{{Cite web|url=https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/virtue-testcard-and-exseed-join-novartis-wayra-uk-health-tech-accelerator|title=Virtue, TestCard and ExSeed join Novartis & Wayra UK health tech accelerator|date=2019-03-04|website=MobiHealthNews|language=en|access-date=2019-07-02}} the National Cyber Security Centre,{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/next-gen-start-ups-to-partner-with-national-cyber-security-centre|title=Next Gen Startups to Partner with National Cyber Security Centre|website=www.ncsc.gov.uk|access-date=2019-07-02}} University of Edinburgh to create an accelerator for AI and blockchain start-ups.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ed.ac.uk/informatics/news-events/stories/2018/wayra-university-edinburgh-launch-ai-blockchain|title=Wayra UK and University of Edinburgh to launch new AI and Blockchain Accelerator|website=The University of Edinburgh|language=en|access-date=2019-07-02}}{{Cite web|url=http://test.thedatalab.com/news/university-of-edinburgh-wayra-uk-launch-ai-blockchain-accelerator/|title=University of Edinburgh & Wayra UK Launch AI & Blockchain Accelerator Programme – The Data Lab|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-07-02}} Based at the Bayes Centre, this programme is a collaboration between Wayra UK and The University of Edinburgh’s Data-Driven Innovation Initiative. Since its launch the programme has welcomed two cohorts featuring 20 data-driven start-ups. Between them they have raised over £3m in investment with a combined valuation of over £12m. The UK branch has also created an Intelligent Mobility accelerator which has chosen to support Spark, an AI start-up.{{Cite web|url=https://www.logisticsit.com/articles/2019/01/24/ai-start-up-spark-selected-for-wayra-uk/transport-systems-catapult-intelligent-mobility-accelerator/|title=AI start-up Spark selected for Wayra UK/Transport Systems Catapult Intelligent mobility Accelerator {{!}} Manufacturing & Logistics IT Magazine|website=www.logisticsit.com|access-date=2019-07-02}}
External links
- [https://www.wayra.com/ Official website]