WATERLOO, ON, March 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackBerry
Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today announced the establishment
of the BlackBerry IVY Innovation Fund to help data-driven
automotive ecosystem providers turbocharge their innovation and
bring new products and applications to market using BlackBerry's
Intelligent Vehicle Data Platform, BlackBerry IVY™.
Announced in December 2020 as part
of a multi-year, global agreement with Amazon Web Services, Inc.
(AWS), BlackBerry IVY is a scalable, cloud-connected software
platform that will allow automakers to provide a consistent and
secure way to read vehicle sensor data, normalize it, and create
actionable insights from that data both locally in the vehicle and
in the cloud. Automakers can use this information to create
responsive in-vehicle services that enhance driver and passenger
experiences.
The BlackBerry IVY Innovation Fund's mission is to accelerate
the expansion of the BlackBerry IVY ecosystem with innovative
transportation solutions. The Fund will initially allocate up to
$50 million to invest in startups
focused on developing data-driven solutions that can benefit from
BlackBerry IVY's AI insights and support from BlackBerry and
AWS.
The BlackBerry IVY Innovation Fund will provide portfolio
companies with access to BlackBerry's strong automotive and
cybersecurity domain expertise. They will also have access to up to
$100,000 in AWS credits through AWS
Activate, a program that has helped hundreds of thousands of early
stage startups accelerate their growth and development. This
includes access to the Activate Console, a self-service platform
that connects startups to insights, technical guidance, and more to
help them build their businesses.
The BlackBerry IVY Innovation Fund underscores BlackBerry's
commitment to developing the BlackBerry IVY ecosystem to allow
OEMs, smart mobility providers, fleet operators, and developers
alike to leverage the rich insights from the next generation of
intelligent connected vehicles.
"The connected vehicle market is evolving with a tremendous rate
of innovation. BlackBerry IVY has the potential to play a pivotal
role in enabling a rich ecosystem of solutions that improve and
enhance driver and passenger experiences and ultimately
revolutionize the way we get from A to B," said Vito Giallorenzo, SVP Corporate Development
& Strategic Partnerships, BlackBerry. "The BlackBerry IVY
Innovation Fund will be a powerful tool to enable both established
and startup partners to benefit from BlackBerry IVY's powerful data
insights and help us drive advancements across the entire
transportation industry."
"BlackBerry IVY is reinventing the automotive customer
experience by transforming vehicles from fixed pieces of technology
into systems that grow and adapt with a user's needs," said
Sarah Cooper, General Manager of
Outcome Driven Engineering at Amazon Web Services. "The BlackBerry
IVY Innovation Fund is an important step in creating the community
of developers and inspiring the ingenuity from startups that will
drive innovation forward."
To find out more about BlackBerry IVY, or to inquire about the
BlackBerry IVY Innovation Fund, visit
https://www.blackberry.com/us/en/products/automotive/blackberry-ivy/innovation-fund.
About BlackBerry
BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB)
provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises
and governments around the world. The company secures more
than 500M endpoints including
175M cars on the road today.
Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the
company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative
solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy
solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security,
endpoint management, encryption, and embedded systems.
BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can
trust.
BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere.
For more information, visit BlackBerry.com and follow
@BlackBerry.
Trademarks, including but not limited to BLACKBERRY and
EMBLEM Design are the trademarks or registered trademarks of
BlackBerry Limited, and the exclusive rights to such trademarks are
expressly reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for any
third-party products or services.
Media Contact:
BlackBerry Media Relations
+1 (519) 597-7273
mediarelations@BlackBerry.com
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SOURCE BlackBerry Limited