German startup Relayr wanted to bring the Internet of Things to life. With its OpenSensor Cloud platform and IoT Starter Kit, the startup entered—and won—Cisco’s Innovation Grand Challenge in 2014. As a current Cisco partner, Relayr continues to bring its innovation dreams into reality in a big way.

And this year, it’s happening again. Cisco is calling all creators, dreamers, and innovators to participate in its annual, worldwide Innovation Grand Challenge.

Cisco’s Director of Innovation Programs and Strategy Alex Goryachev speaks to the value of holding a global challenge that seeks innovation.

“We have found a nice balance where we help entrepreneurs succeed and where we can also work with them in our Internet of Everything centers,” says Goryachev, “I think there’s incredible value to Cisco, the industry, and the startups. It is about disruption in the Internet of Everything and the Internet of Things. It is global, it is worldwide, and we are reaching entrepreneurs wherever they are.”

Partnering with emerging technologies and leaders is crucial to Cisco’s values. Relayr continues to work with Cisco as a Cisco DevNet partner. The team from the German company now works with Cisco’s Internet of Everything Innovation Center in Berlin.

Co-founder and Head of Product at Relayr Jackson Bond feels that the benefits of participating in the Innovation Grand Challenge are invaluable.

“We got exposure to the business community, ” says Bond, “We got market validation for a product that had just hit the market. The exposure was very valuable to Cisco’s partner ecosystem and customers.”

Beginning June 22, 2015, Cisco is seeking submissions from global startups in areas including Infrastructure, Applications, Security, Fog/Edge Computing, and Middleware, Platform, and Frameworks.

Cisco is ready to connect with startups and entrepreneurs who are at the forefront of breaking technologies. In partnership with the tech industry, Cisco works to discover new products and integrate with budding startups in order to further create new solutions.

This challenge runs in three phases. Startups are encouraged to apply between June 22, and September 7, and 15 teams will advance to semi-finalists in October Six finalists will be chosen in November to compete for three awards, that which will be announced at the Internet of Things World Forum in Dubai on December 6 and 7.

First prize winners are awarded $150,000, and $75,000 and $25,000 go to 2nd and 3rd winners respectively. Teams who participate can also benefit through Cisco’s expertise and mentorship, as well as access to the labs and IoE Innovation Centers around the world.

“We’re at the forefront of connecting the unconnected and shaping the innovation ecosystem,” says Goryachev. “We want other industry leaders to go and meet them in Dubai. We want the young, promising startups to meet the industry and we want the industry to meet the startups.”

Discovering disruptive ideas that can shake up the tech industry is at the heart of the challenge. Cisco is ready and prepared to aid startups in enriching the innovation ecosystem with new and revolutionary ideas.

Cisco is calling on all interested startups and entrepreneurs around the world to submit their challenge ideas for an opportunity to partner with Cisco in building the next great tools for innovation. Is your idea the next big industry disrupting solution? Learn more about the Challenge.