Calling all startups: The Mobileys competition is open

National Wireless Innovation Competition Kicks Off With $20,000 Prize Purse

(Washington, DC) – Mobile Future announces the beginning of the application period for The Mobileys, a national competition that celebrates mobile startups striving to make the world a better place through early-stage apps, services, and products. In its fourth year, The Mobileys challenges entrepreneurs to submit their cutting-edge wireless innovations for the chance to win cash prizes and a trip to Washington, DC to meet innovation policy leaders.

Winning the national competition can be a game-changer in funding and growing startups:

“Being a Mobileys winner gives our organization credibility and authority, and that’s especially important as we look for funders to support our app’s future improvement.”
— Christine Bork, CureSearch CancerCare
The Mobileys 2015 First Place Winner

“Especially being a college student, I felt that our company needed validation at the very early stages in order to get clients, potential buyers, and investors to take us a little bit more seriously, so the Mobileys helped provide a lot of legitimacy there”
— Andrew Glantz, GiftAMeal, (formerly FoodShare)
The Mobileys 2015 People’s Choice Winner

The grand prize of $10,000 will be awarded to the submission that best utilizes wireless technologies to create lasting social benefit. Also awarded will be a second place prize of $5,000, a third place prize of $2,500, and a People’s Choice prize of $2,500. Applications will be accepted through Monday, September 26, 2016 at 6:00 pm (ET) and winners will be announced in mid-November.

Applicants should be individuals or start-ups that have either recently launched their nominated mobile app, service or other product, or plan to do so within six months. The submission should be a product that runs on wireless networks and uses mobile in new ways to have a positive social impact.

Each entry will be evaluated by an official judging panel, which includes distinguished individuals from the worlds of tech, mobile, entertainment, healthcare, government, and venture capital. The 2016 Mobileys judges include:

• Dan Aronson, CEO, Founder, Fandor
• Lesley Chilcott, Filmmaker
• Kevin Delaney, Editor-in-Chief, Quartz
• Andrew Der, Manager, Verizon Ventures
• Pete Erickson, Founder, Modev
• Kathryn Finney, Founder, digitalundivided & White House Champion of Change
• Jon Healey, Deputy Editorial Page Editor, Los Angeles Times
• Kellan Carter, Principal, Ignition Partners
• Dr. Francine Kaufman, Chief Medical Officer, Medtronic Diabetes
• Peter Marx, Chief Technical Officer, The City of Los Angeles
• Dawn McGee, CEO, Goodworks Ventures
• Will Price, Managing Partner, Next Frontier Capital
• Peter Schube, President & COO, The Jim Henson Company
• Diane Smith, Angel Investor, Frontier Angel Fund & Mobile Future Advisor
• Jonathan Spalter, Chair, Mobile Future
• Antonio Tijerino, President & CEO, Hispanic Heritage Foundation
• Monique Woodard, Venture Partner, 500 Startups and Co-Founder & Executive Director, Black Founders
• Ruth Yomtoubian, Business Innovation Lead, AT&T Foundry Innovation Center

“The groundbreaking mobile innovations we’ve seen through The Mobileys competition are inspiring in their potential to make a meaningful difference in our communities,” said Mobile Future Chair Jonathan Spalter. “Every submission represents the power and promise of wireless technology, and how the spirit of entrepreneurship is driving lasting social change and our mobile future.”

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Mobile Future is an association of cutting-edge technology and communications companies and a diverse group of non-profit organizations, working to support an environment that encourages investment and innovation in the dynamic wireless sector. Our mission is to help inform and educate the public and key decision makers in business and government on the broad range of wireless innovations that are transforming our society and the nation’s economy.