​The 12 Trailblazing days of Christmas: Mobile finalists

According to research by MarketsandMarkets, the global Enterprise Mobility Market will be worth $7670.4 Million by 2016. This year has seen a variety of mobile innovations, so let’s take a look at our mobile innovation leader board…

First up is Bluebox Security - a next generation mobile security provider that safeguards corporate data across the device, application and network. With a focus on securing corporate data, the cloud-based solution provides complete visibility, security, and control allowing enterprises to trust mobile, while providing the freedom of choice, ease of use, and privacy that today’s mobile employee demands. The California-based company’s latest funding includes $18 million raised in Series B funding round in January 2014, with backers including Andreessen Horowitz, Ram Shriram, Sun Microsystems co-founder, Andreas Bechtolsheim, SV Angel and Tenaya Capital.

French startup CopSonic is developing a sonic and ultrasonic authentication technology - a new universal contactless communication protocol for security, payment and tracking. CopSonic’s offering is already available for the 30 billion smart devices existing worldwide: featuring phones, smartphones, tablets, TV-box, computers, game consoles and the Internet of Things. This privately funded startup has received support from its mother company, SECOM. Copsonic also features in the FinTech Trailblazers shortlist.

Also in the running for Mobile Trailblazer is FieldAware, providing a field service management solution designed to improve the productivity of, and generate more revenue using the most important people in every field service organizations - the technicians. Unlike competitive solutions which are based on premise-base scheduling systems, FieldAware architected the system by beginning with the mobile. Since joining this year’s Tech Trailblazers, this startup has gained $24m in VC Series D funding, from backers Atlantic Bridge Capital, OpenView Venture Partners, Oyster Capital Partners and WestSummit Capital.

From Amsterdam, another finalist hoping take the Mobile Trailblazer title is Dutch contender JMango360. They describe themselves as a one-stop shop for developers looking to make business-orientated mobile applications, regardless of programming ability or development skill. The platform requires zero set-up cost with no contracts, minimizing risk for users and making it affordable for all sizes of businesses.

Also among the frontrunners in the Cloud category, Perspecsys were chosen as a finalist for their cloud data protection gateways that enable mission critical cloud applications to be adopted throughout the enterprise.

We’re also proud to announce that Purple WiFi is among the Mobile Trailblazer shortlist… This privately funded startup from Ashton Under Lyne, in the UK, enables businesses to provide free, secure WiFi to customers through social networking authentication, while returning valuable analytical data for targeted marketing purposes. Safe for users and useful for businesses!

2014 Mobile finalists 101…

• Location, location, location: Europe dominates the mobile category for 2014, with European startups accounting for 66% of the shortlist. In comparison, 2013’s Mobile Trailblazers’ shortlist saw just 17% European startups.
• The most common age for the mobile finalists is 5 years old (50%).

Who should win this year’s Mobile Trailblazers Award? Help decide at www.techtrailblazers.com/shortlist/ before 23.59pm Pacific Time on 16^th January 2015.