$250K in flash funding, IoT connectivity, access to developer resources and new distribution channels to eligible entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs looking to tap into Indiegogo, the global innovation platform, now have new incentives and new tools to help bring their dreams to life.

AT&T* is teaming up with Arrow Electronics and Indiegogo through the Arrow Certification Program. As the program’s select connectivity provider, AT&T will provide access to its networks – including 4G LTE, 5G[1], LTE-M and soon-to-launch NB-IoT. Developers will receive SIM cards, data plans for qualified projects[2] and access to its IoT developer tools. And AT&T will evaluate top products to be sold through select retail stores and online.

To kick things off, AT&T and Arrow will be awarding $250,000 in flash funding in 2019 to Indiegogo campaigns containing Arrow-Certified Technology.[3]

What is the program?

The Arrow Certification Program helps entrepreneurs turn tech ideas at any stage of development into reality. The program offers engineering, supply chain, marketing, and production support. By combining the strength of AT&T’s networks and distribution channels with the ideation-through-production services from Arrow and Indiegogo, entrepreneurs in the Arrow Certification Program will have even more resources to bring their IoT products to market.

How it works

Projects with Arrow Certified Technology will qualify for AT&T connectivity and be eligible to win flash funding. To get a project certified, entrepreneurs should apply on the Arrow website. Arrow engineers will then evaluate the product’s design for feasibility in order to earn the Arrow Certified Technology badge. This indicates to backers that the product design is ready for manufacturing.

Some examples of recent Arrow-Certified Indiegogo projects include:

• Waggit – a smart collar for dogs that helps pet owners monitor the health and well-being of their furry friends.
• Anyware- a smart home monitoring device that fits in your lamp socket to control lighting, monitor temperature and humidity, and detect sound.

Building a connected future

Analysts predict that IoT connections will grow to 80B by 2025[4] thanks to 5G and low-power wide-area technologies like LTE-M and NB-IoT. Analysts also predict that crowdfunding platforms will reach $115B by 2020.[5] This creates the perfect opportunity to bring together two areas rich in innovation and primed for rapid growth.

"Funding and access to resources are two of the biggest obstacles that developers face,” said Chris Penrose, President of IoT Solutions at AT&T. “We’re looking to help remove those challenges so that entrepreneurs can do what they do best – innovate. Our IoT connectivity and unmatched distribution, combined with Arrow’s technology expertise and Indiegogo’s world class platform, will help speed the process from concept to the consumer.”

“Innovation is about speed, connectivity, and customer experience. Disruptors are bringing technology together to give their customers delightful experiences. LTE-M and Cellular are freeing the world of innovation from the confines of Wi-Fi and local networks,” said Matt Anderson, president and chief digital officer at Arrow Electronics. “We believe that the wave of innovation, together with access to this kind of technology, is going to unlock a whole new wave of applications on the Arrow and Indiegogo platform with AT&T.”

Last year, AT&T and Arrow announced a technology collaboration to help companies innovate and incubate connected IoT solutions through the AT&T Foundry. Sponsoring Indiegogo campaigns is a way for AT&T and Arrow to extend this collaboration to the innovation of IoT solutions through crowdsourced initiatives worldwide.

For more details on the Arrow Certification Program, visit www.arrow.com/indiegogo.

To learn more about IoT’s potential to transform business, go to att.com/iot.

_{[1] Where available.}

_{[2] Available to 500 eligible campaigns per year. Includes two 10GB/month data plans for 12 months.}

_{[3] To qualify, you must be within the eligible geography, your project must contain Arrow Certified Technology and feature cellular communications compatible with AT&T Networks.}

_{[4] IDC: Worldwide Internet of Things Installed Base by Connectivity Forecast, 2017–2021 (March 2017, Doc #US42331917)}

_[5] Forbes.