New event 20 April 2009: How to Finance your Business in a Credit Crunch

The Digital Communications Knowledge Transfer Network in association with Mobile Monday London presents 'How to finance your business in a credit crunch'. Doors open at 6pm for a 6.30pm start on Monday 20th April. There will be short presentations and a panel session representing all aspects of the financial value chain from VC through Angel Investor to Entrepreneurs and more. We also have a few surprises up our sleeve to stimulate the debate.

We’re in a credit crunch but that doesn't mean that you can't still be successful in these challenging times. This is your chance to get your finance questions answered. We aim to answer questions relevant to businesses at all stages in their growth, from start-up to grown-up. This is your chance to find out:

Is it impossible to get finance right now? What are the options open to a mobile business? Should I move my business to the US to have better chance of finance? What's the reality when you sell to a corporate? What are the Government sponsored opportunities available? What are investors looking for right now? How do I make sure that my valuation isn't diluted? Are banks really able to help? How long will the credit crunch last? What is value in this day and age? Is there still money to be made in the mobile industry and if so in which sectors? Which corporates and network operators are investing in smaller businesses? Are competitions and grants worth the effort? Is a merger or acquisition more hassle than it's worth?

It should be a lively panel and there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and contribute to the discussion. Some of our experts in the room will also be running surgery sessions during the networking that follows. Here you will be able to get more in-depth advice on a one-to-one basis, discuss your specific next steps and, based on your business needs, find out which programmes and pathways are worth pursuing

Please go to http://alpha.mobilemonday.org.uk to register.

Membership of the Digital Communications KTN is free, and all attendees are encouraged to register as members at www.dcktn.org.uk

The Logistics

Date: Monday 20 April 2009

Time: Doors open at 18:00 for a prompt start at 18:30

Venue:CBI at Centrepoint

Agenda

18:00 Doors open

18:30 Presentations - from DCKTN, Numeritas, Gateway2Investment, Vodafone Mobile Clicks

19:00 Panel session and discussion - Benjamin Ellis, Redcatco; Pamir Gelenbe, Newton More Partners; Rose Lewis, Pembridge Partners LLP; Carl Uminski, IMW; Chris Padfield, London Business Angels and London Seed Capital;

20:00 Surgery sessions open and networking. Surgeries from Pembridge Partners, Vodafone Mobile Clicks, London Seed Capital, Numeritas and DCKTN.

22:00 Doors close

Food and drinks will be served at the event courtesy of the Digital Communications KTN.
We will be confirming our venue, speakers, panellists and surgery sessions shortly.

The Digital Communications Knowledge Transfer Network has been established by an industry-led group of leading players, with funding from the Technology Strategy Board. We seek to bring competitive advantage to the UK by promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing between the users and providers of Digital Communications, and helping to drive innovation in the sector.

Vodafone Mobile Clicks Competition now open to the UK with a prize fund of €150, 000

Vodafone UK and Mobile Monday London today announce Vodafone Mobile Clicks 2009, a competition to inspire start-up businesses and individual developers to create and deliver a new mobile site or service – all creative ideas are welcome.

Mobile Clicks 2009 is run jointly with Vodafone Netherlands. Anyone wishing to enter can visit http://www.vodafonemobileclicks.com/. The final will be held in Amsterdam in September and will feature three finalists from each country. The first three winners will be awarded a total sum of €150,000.

Last years’ Mobile Clicks’ winners included Nulaz, a location-based social networking service merging Google Maps and Facebook to allow people to see where their friends are, share locations and view local information, Tipspot a new online city guide service and Map the Gap, an idea-sharing application for mobile phones.

The competition consists of three selection rounds, running from April to September 2009. The panel of judges will include mobile internet experts from Vodafone as well as other industry leaders. The winner will be announced in Amsterdam in September this year.

The rules are pretty simple:

• Vodafone Mobile Clicks 2009 is open to any individual residing in the Netherlands or the UK from the age of 18 years and to Dutch and UK-based start-up companies, businesses, institutions and all other organisations.
• Participants must be or must have the intention to become a start-up enterprise/business in the field of mobile internet products or services. Start-up means that the enterprise/business cannot be older than three years since its inception.
• Each participant may submit only one entry.
• (Previous Dutch) Entries from Vodafone Mobile Clicks 2008 are allowed to participate again in Vodafone Mobile Clicks 2009

Registration for this contest is now open. Registration for the Netherlands will close at April 30th, 2009 and registration for the UK will close on May 14th, 2009.

For more on last years’ winners, please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owuDNC-IAdM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CMXW7eLrZI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUqPmNnIXj0

We’ll have more details about the competition up on the Mobile Monday London website as and when they happen and we’ll have some Vodafone people on hand at our upcoming events too. In the meantime, head over to Vodafone Mobile Clicks 2009 and see how you can get your hands on some of that €150, 000 prize fund to kick start your business and get your service to market. The closing date for UK entries is 14th May 2009 so get your thinking caps on. Good luck!

Update - 6 May 2009

Some people have raised concerns over IP and confidentiality so we would like to reassure you.

Confidentiality is secured. All people involved are informed and committed to this confidentiality.
The rights of the idea will be with the owner/submitter. With your entry, we don't need every single detail - just enough detail to give us a clear picture of the WHAT and the HOW of the mobile service. We respect the situations in which the start-ups do not have a patent yet. See our very very strict confidentiality claims. Above and in the Ts & Cs on http://www.vodafonemobileclicks.com/ .
Ideas will NOT be shared with competitors or other companies. Only the jury and the organizing team(s) involved will have ALL the registration data (UK and NL). The Press and Other Startups in this contest will ONLY have RESTRICTED access to only a few Registration Fields (e.g. Name, Contact Details, Short Description of Service).

Technorati Tags: competition,Vodafone,innovation,start-up,business,mobile,MoMolondon,MoMoLo,Mobile Monday

OpenMIC Mobile Innovation Event 2nd April 09 in Bath

The lovely folks at DCKTN and OpenMIC have reminded me this morning about their upcoming event in Bath - It's a barcamp style unconference for discussion, debate and developing new mobile applications and mobile web services. Our very own Dan Appelquist is one of the featured speakers, although anyone gets a chance to host or lead a session just by putting their name and idea forward. That's how a barcamp works for those of you who've never done one before.

openMIC Mobile Innovation Camp explores recent platform developments and arms the attendee with the knowledge and skills to execute ideas for mobile apps (Symbian, iPhone, Android) and take them to market. The attendee will also learn how to create mobile web applications that utilise the new openness of the operator. In the afternoon attendees will join teams to develop application ideas into a tactical plan with possible investment to develop it further as an outcome.

Preparing for the event: openMIC attendees are encouraged to come to the event with an idea for a mobile application in mind. Ideas can be commercial or to instigate social or charitable purposes. Before the event attendees should suggest application and service ideas using the openMIC page at http://openmicamp.ning.com/ All ideas suggested are open and owned by the break out group that mobilizes to develop them.

Date: Thursday 2nd April 2009
Time: Welcome 9am, Drinks, Entertainment and Networking throughout the day
Venue: Bath Ventures Innovation Centre, Broad Quay, Bath, BA1 1UD
Cost: FREE

Who should attend: DIY developers, ideas people, operators, innovators -> anyone passionate and interested in open group development of new mobile apps for commercial or social use.

Sponsors: Silicon South West and Bath Ventures

I realised that the event is *not* in London but Bath isn't that far away and I'm sure it is a hotbed of mobile development talent! I believe there are even frequent trains and coaches to Bath too ;)

For more info please email P[dot]Turgut[at]bath[dot]ac[dot]uk to register your interest and join the group over at http://openmicamp.ning.com/

Wrap-Up of March MoMo London

Thanks to all who participated in the last Mobile Monday London event, talking about what Mobile Operators are doing to support developers and innovation. Thanks especially to our sponsors, O2 Litmus and Vodafone!

We've had some good coverage from the event and discussions generated:

Mauricio Reyes covered the event on his mini digicam.
Adam Cohen-Rose gave a fair lowdown.

Pudding Relations also did a good write up.

Speaker and panelist James Parton wrote a post giving his own thoughts on the event.

Petra also does a comprehensive blog post about the event.

Panelist David Wood did a pre-event write-up.
Not everyone was happy though, as evidenced by this scathing post from Ewan MacLoed from Mobile Industry Review. So maybe operators have more work to do.

In the meantime, thanks to everyone who came along and thanks again to our sponsors! Watch this space for info on our next event in mid-April!

Next MoMo London - March 9th - What are Operators Doing to Support Developers and Innovation?

What have mobile operators done for innovators and developers, lately? Our next MobileMonday London event will explore this issue. The event will be held on March 9th at CBI conference centre (at Centrepoint Tower) at 6:00 pm, sponsored by O2 Litmus and Vodafone. Panelists will include James Parton from O2, Terence Eden from Vodafone, Steve Wolak from Betavine, David Wood from Symbian Foundation and Jo Rabin representing dotMobi. For full details and to register, please go to our alpha site at http://alpha.mobilemonday.org.uk. See you Monday!