We're delighted to announce the MobileBeat2009 Top Startup Competition for our upcoming MobileBeat conference on July 16.
We're looking to profile the best application and service companies -- those that promise to change peoples' lives while they're on the go. We're actively soliciting submissions from start-ups younger than three years old, and in two categories. Deadline for submission is June 30. You'll be notified if you qualify on July 2.
These companies will get to pitch in front of a high-level audience: Some 400 top mobile executives from start-ups and larger companies, venture capitalists, publishers, media, device makers and OS platforms (for example, we'll have Palm's Michael Abbott as a speaker, the first time a Palm executive has made an appearance since the Pre's launch). We got a really fun day planned. Note: Today is the last day for our early-bird $145 discount; Buy here!
Here are the categories of companies we're looking for:
1. Mobile application companies -- Our board of advisors will select seven application companies to present for two minutes on stage to our the full audience.
- They should fill out the following form; In the last box of that form, titled "Anything you'd like to add" box, the applying company should also address the following:
- How do they change peoples' lives?;
- How do they leverage a particular platform really well -- whether that platform be Android, Rim, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Palm, or Apple's iPhone (again, extra consideration will also be given to such applications)?;
- Are they a truly mobile experience, as opposed to being yet another Web site merely transferred to a mobile format?
2. Mobile services companies -- Our board of advisors will also select seven mobile services companies to present for two minutes on stage to our the full audience.
- These companies aren't applications, but they offer services to applications or other companies hoping to exploit the mobile platform (examples of such companies include those that may offer a store to download apps, or a way to backup or sync information, or serve ads, or provide payment technology; the list goes on);
- They should fill out the following form; In the last box of that form, titled "Anything you'd like to add" box, the applying company should also address the following:
- Explain how they benefit from the mobile application boom, and why they change peoples' lives;
- How do they leverage a particular platform really well -- whether that platform be Android, Rim, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Palm, or Apple's iPhone (again, extra consideration will also be given to such service companies).
After final deliberation in the afternoon, winners will be announced, and our Tesla award (read about background) will be bestowed. We'll be announcing other prize goodies shortly.
Finally, while Apple iPhone applications and services are clearly hot right now, we're seeking to avoid having this become an Apple-centric competition. At most, only three of these applications can support either the iPhone or Android platforms. We'll reserve the four other spots to other platforms.
Fire away! We're keen to look at your applications. We've already had a few promising ones come our way after our original post on the competition process. Now the contest begins in earnest!