Orange launches venture fund for digital and telecoms start-ups for €20Million (Euros)

Orange has earmarked €20 million (Euros) for an investment programme called Orange Digital Ventures which will fund start-ups “working on the new and next transformations of the telecoms and digital sectors” in all regions where the mobile operator is currently present.

The venture aims to take capital investments via minority holdings. It wants to focus on start-ups in the fields of communication, connectivity, the cloud, payment, the Internet of Things and big data, e-health and security services who are developing innovative solutions and technologies as well as inventing new business models.

Companies across Europe, the Middle East and Africa could benefit from the Digital Ventures programme.

“Orange intends to leverage its already active role in the global digital ecosystem, and through these new investments get closer to companies that are agile at grasping and acting on technology shifts vital to the creation of tomorrow’s digital services,” the company said in a statement.

It added that its goal is to “transform talented entrepreneurs into key players in their chosen markets and in so doing, benefit Orange and its customers.” Orange believes “this new approach will reinforce existing Orange open innovation initiatives, like Orange Fab, while also allowing the support of new companies in their ramp-up phases.”

Press Release:

Orange launches Digital Ventures, a new funding vehicle for start-ups, further expanding its digital innovation strategy

Paris, Thursday 22 January 2015

Orange builds on its existing open innovation strategy with an “early stage” investment program branded Orange Digital Ventures. It will  identify and fund start-ups during their initial development as well as provide the  strategic relationships needed for them to become valuable companies.

Orange intends to leverage its already active role in the global  digital ecosystem, and through these new investments get closer to  companies that are agile at grasping and acting on technology shifts  vital to the creation of tomorrow’s digital services.

Funding innovation in the digital and telecoms sector

The  focus of Orange Digital Ventures is on financing those start-ups  working on the new and next transformations of the telecoms and digital  sectors. Orange Digital Ventures will support in particular start-ups in  the fields of communication, connectivity, the cloud, payment, the  Internet of Things and big data, e-Health and security services  developing innovative solutions and technologies as well as inventing  new business models.

With  20 million Euros earmarked for its first  year, Orange Digital Ventures will proceed by making capital investments  via minority holdings. This support will be available to start-ups in  all geographical regions where Orange is present.

Delivering what start-ups need: responsiveness and simplicity

Early-stage  companies move fast, which is why Orange Digital Ventures features a  dedicated team of digital specialists and a simplified, rapid selection  methodology. The intent is to deliver entrepreneurs a first response in  less than 30 days.

Turning the vision of entrepreneurs into scalable businesses

Orange  Digital Ventures will be more than a shareholder; it is designed to be a  growth catalyst. The immediate priority is on the economic development  of the portfolio companies and their global expansion. The ambition for  Orange Digital Ventures is to work alongside them to transform  far-sighted, talented entrepreneurs into key players in their chosen  markets and

in so doing, benefit Orange and its customers.   

Orange,  as an investor and catalyst, will benefit participating start-ups  through its  international commercial footprint and its reputation.   Entrepreneurs will be able to develop technical or commercial  relationships through access to Orange experts and decision-makers.

This  new approach will reinforce existing Orange open innovation  initiatives, like Orange Fab, while also allowing the support of new  companies in their ramp-up phases. 

Start-ups can get in touch with the teams of Orange Digital Ventures ondigitalventures.orange.com .

About Orange

Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with sales of 41 billion euros in 2013 and 159,000 employees worldwide at 30 September 2014, including 99,800 employees in France. Present in 30 countries, the Group has a total customer base of 240 million customers worldwide at 30 September 2014, including 182 million mobile customers and 16 million fixed broadband customers. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services.

Orange is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris (symbol ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol ORAN).
For more information on the internet and on your mobile: www.orange.com , www.orange-business.com , livetv.orange.com or to follow us on Twitter: @orange , @orangegrouppr , @orangebusiness .

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Brand Services Limited.

China Mobile and Orange ink deal for SIM-based NFC services.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.       

China Mobile and Orange ink deal for SIM-based NFC services.

Intent on making the prevalence of near-field communications (NFC) a reality, Orange and China Mobile have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The two operators are aiming to accelerate the commercialisation of mobile contactless services and said they will adopt internationally recognised standards for embedding the secure technical protocols directly into the SIM-card.

The firms said they aim to participate in the development of a market in which users can access NFC services regardless of their device or operator.

“Orange and China Mobile share a common belief that, for NFC services to take-off on a global scale, the industry needs to work  together in order to adopt a common set of standards that operate within  a fully-interoperable business platform,” the firms said in a joint statement.

The two companies have agreed to work together to ensure: the large-scale adoption of SIM-based NFC services and the availability of compatible devices; the interoperability of such services in a way that will facilitate the emergence of a wide range of applications; and the development of standardised solutions that will provide consistency across eco-systems.

France: Orange has begun offering NFC-enabled SIM cards nationwide.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Orange enabled NFC sim card.

France: Orange has begun offering NFC-enabled SIM cards nationwide.

French incumbent Orange has begun offering NFC-enabled SIM cards nationwide in preparation for what it calls the “mass deployment”  of mobile contactless services. The UpTeq NFC SIM cards are supplied by Gemalto and  are the first SIMs on the market to offer the same security level as chip-based payment or smart cards, the firms said.

Orange, which claims to be the first European operator to roll out this technology on a national scale, said it plans to rent slots on the SIMs to service providers, including banks, retailers and transport providers, which is in line with the GSMA’s suggested model of NFC service operation.

“The solution will allow any service provider to dynamically manage its own security domain in the card and to load, personalise and update its related NFC applications remotely over time,” Orange said.

In adopting this stance, Orange places the burden of innovation and uptake on the service providers. Earlier this year the firm’s director for contactless services, Vincent Barnaud, told Telecoms.com that Orange had run successful trials with hotels, airlines and car rental companies and that the firm believed the “service providers are ready to go if and when there is a customer base ready to use NFC.”

Gemalto

UK: Orange confirms Intel-powered San Diego smartphone launch

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

UK: Orange confirms Intel-powered San Diego smartphone launch.

Orange will launch its expected San Diego smartphone – powered by a processor from Intel – early next month, supported by a “multimillion pound” advertising campaign.

The high-profile introduction is significant for the processor giant, which has struggled to gain momentum in the mobile phone market, against competition from companies such as Nvidia, TI and Qualcomm.

The San Diego is the first Intel-powered smartphone to launch in Europe, Orange said.

Last month, Intel and manufacturer Lava International announced a device targeting the Indian market. And earlier this week, Chinese IT giant Lenovo debuted its first Intel-powered device, LePhone K800, for the Chinese market.

The company also has deals in place with Motorola Mobility and ZTE.

The San Diego was first unveiled at the GSMA Mobile World Congress earlier this year, under the codename Orange Santa Clara.

The Android-powered device will retail at £199.99 for prepaid customers in the UK, and will subsequently be free-of-charge for contract subscribers. Availability details for other markets were not confirmed.

According to reports from the original unveiling, it is manufactured by Taiwanese contract manufacturer Gigabyte.

NTT Docomo and Orange to source an Android smartphone from Sharp

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

NTT Docomo said that it will work with Orange to source an Android smartphone from vendor Sharp, “marking the first time for an overseas operator to deploy a Docomo smartphone.” 

The Japanese operator said that the device, sold as Aquos Phone SH-12C in Japan, has been redesigned for the European market, and renamed Aquos Phone SH80F. It has been described as Orange’s “first mobile device capable of converting images and videos from 2D to 3D in real time.”