Introducing the BIG Awards semi-finalists

“DataBarta is an online marketplace that enables consumers to sell their data to companies. We will provide consumers with APIs downloadable to computer, tablet or smartphone that will automatically identify, capture and authenticate data from any internet connected M2M device. Data will be securely stored in a cloud escrow service. We will enable individuals to control their privacy settings and offer their data for sale to the highest commercial bidder as either a single or multiple transaction. Companies can buy and download data either in a raw form or pay for an additional bespoke API service in order to interpret it. We will store data requests for reuse and resale.

“Our initial focus is the energy sector to coincide with the smart meter roll out, estimated to be worth £6.7bn in the UK. We will then expand as a horizontal service across all Internet of Things/ M2M markets, worth £44 trn globally. 

“The problem that we are solving is twofold – all relevant market forecasts rely on consumers connecting the devices and then granting access to data; and data must be accessible to a wide number of companies, rather than controlled by a select few, in order to properly drive innovation and competition. We can mitigate privacy concerns and provide a new consumer incentive by creating a C2B market. We can deliver substantial cost and time savings to companies, whilst enabling them to access data beyond their customer base and vertical markets. DataBarta is the democratization of data.”

Photograph: CEO, Jane Lucy

Questions we asked the Cisco startups:

If you were Prime Minister for a day what policy would you implement to help startups?

What is it really like being a startup in the UK and how would they encourage CIOs to purchase to work with them over established suppliers?