As part of the ongoing Mashable Awards, we’re taking a closer look at each of the nomination categories. This is “Entrepreneur of the Year.” Be sure to nominate your favorites and join us for the Gala in Las Vegas!
Every year, Mashable covers the launch of hundreds of new companies. While many of these ventures never make it out of obscurity, some of them bubble up and become a regular part of our coverage.
Further, these companies become important components to the ever-evolving digital media landscape, with consumers and businesses alike thirsting to take advantage of what they have to offer.
At this point, it might be too early to project any of the following companies as the next Twitter or Facebook, but as 2010 comes to a close, we feel confident in suggesting the following choices as “Most Promising New Company” in the 4th Annual Mashable Awards.
Of course, our readers get the final say, so be sure to add your nominations and let us know who you think we missed in the comments.
Launched just last month, Instagram has quickly attracted the attention of social media consumers, photo enthusiasts, and reportedly, major investors. The iPhone app, which we described in our initial review as “speak[ing] to the secret photographer inside us all by providing a nearly foolproof way to snap remarkable photos,” added 100,000 users in its first week (it’s since been reported to be nearing 1 million).
Quora
Quora made a name for itself in 2010 by attracting the tech elite to its spin on an old idea: questions and answers. With high profile users like Reed Hastings, Marc Andreessen and Craig Newmark, the question for Quora is if it can extend its reach beyond digital influencers while maintaining the high level of discourse that has made it a small scale success so far.
Formspring
On the opposite end of the Q&A spectrum is Formspring, a startup that has grown to the tune of more than 1 billion questions answered on its platform. Unlike Quora, however, Formspring is all about anonymous Q&A and has leveraged integrations with Facebook, Twitter, WordPress and other major platforms to become an unavoidable part of the social media ecosystem.
Kik
Another relative newcomer, cross-platform mobile app Kik is also one of 2010’s biggest breakout stories. The app, which functions much like the classic BlackBerry Messenger, attracted two million users in its first three weeks. Intriguingly, the app might be growing too fast for at least one mobile platform’s comfort; last week, RIM blocked Kik on its network.
GetGlue
GetGlue has been on our radar for a couple years, but the company seemed to hit its stride more recently, capitalizing on the increasingly popular “checkin” concept to more than quadruple activity on the service in a matter of months. GetGlue has also positioned itself to also benefit from the expected rise of “second screen” experiences, allowing users to check in to TV shows, movies and music from their iPhones, Androids and iPads.
Shopkick
Location-based deals were a huge trend in 2010, with big and small brands alike offering rewards to customers that share their whereabouts with friends. Shopkick offers a compelling twist on this idea, utilizing in-store technology to verify a user’s location and automatically check them in to unlock rewards. The company has already raised $20 million, and with deployments at hundreds of Best Buy and Target stores, seems likely to have lots more growth in front of it.
The Mashable Awards Gala at Cirque du Soleil Zumanity (Vegas)
In partnership with Cirque du Soleil, The Mashable Awards Gala event will bring together the winners and nominees, the Mashable community, partners, media, the marketing community, consumer electronics and technology brands and attendees from the 2011 International CES Convention to Las Vegas on Thursday, January 6, 2011. Together, we will celebrate the winners and the community of the Mashable Awards at the Cirque du Soleil Zumanity stage in the beautiful New York New York Hotel. The event will include acts and performances from our partner Cirque du Soleil Zumanity. In addition, there will be special guest presenters and appearances.
Date: Thursday, January 6th, 2011 (during International CES Convention week)
Time: 7:00 – 10:00 pm PT
Location: Cirque du Soleil Zumanity, New York New York Hotel, Las Vegas
Agenda: Networking, Open Bars, Acts, Surprises and the Mashable Awards Gala presentations
Socialize: Facebook, Foursquare, Meetup, Plancast, Twitter (Hashtag: #MashableAwards)
Sponsorships are available. Please contact sponsorships@mashable.com for more information.
Thanks to our sponsors:
Mashable Awards Gala Partner:
From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a global entertainment organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has over 5,000 employees, including more than 1,200 artists from close to 50 different countries.
Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to nearly 100 million spectators in 300 cities on five continents. In 2010 Cirque du Soleil, will present 21 shows simultaneously throughout the world, including seven in Las Vegas.
For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com
Mashable Awards Online Partner:
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Mashable Awards Partner:
Join us at the 2011 International CES®, the global platform for inspired ideas and innovation. With 2,500 exhibitors, CES continues to be the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow and always reflects the dynamic consumer electronics industry. The International CES is not open to the general public and all attendees must be in the CE industry to be eligible to attend the show. Register FREE for the 2011 CES with priority code MSHB, an exclusive promotion for Mashable Readers.
Mashable Awards Category Sponsor:
Research In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications including the BlackBerry® wireless platform and the new BlackBerry PlayBook. For the latest on the BlackBerry PlayBook visit the Inside BlackBerry Blog.
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Mobile Future is a broad-based coalition of businesses, non-profit organizations and individuals interested in and dedicated to advocating for an environment in which innovations in wireless technology and services are enabled and encouraged. Our mission is to educate the public and key decision makers on innovations in the wireless industry that have transformed the way Americans work and play and to advocate continued investment in wireless technologies.
Our “Mobile Year in Review 2010” animation proves a glimpse into the most notable breakthroughs in the wireless industry this year.
Yahoo! is an innovative technology company that operates the largest digital media, content, and communications business in the world. Yahoo! keeps more than half a billion consumers worldwide connected to what matters to them most, and delivers powerful audience solutions to advertisers through its unique combination of Science + Art + Scale. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit the company’s blog, Yodel Anecdotal.
Mashable Awards Gala Silver Sponsor:
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The Aro system automatically learns what’s important in your life—the people, places, dates and organizations you care about most. In your communications, Aro automatically identifies people, places, events, dates,organizations and locations. From any recognized term, Aro offers quick action menus to speed up your day.
The unique Aro experience is powered by advanced web services: next generation natural language processing and semantic data analytics services. Aro gives you the power to see through the clutter and focus your mobile life.
Research In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications including the BlackBerry® wireless platform and the new BlackBerry PlayBook. For the latest on the BlackBerry PlayBook visit the Inside BlackBerry Blog.
Mashable Awards Gala VIP Lounge sponsor:
Influxis specializes in the deployment of creative streaming solutions. Services include large scale deployment, mobile streaming, turn-key applications, and enterprise support with custom network options. With the unique combination of a worldwide network, knowledgeable developer support and nearly a decade of streaming media experience, Influxis is an essential partner to businesses, advertisers, developers, educators, and others who seek expertise in innovative streaming.
Mashable Awards After Party Sponsor:
Research In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications including the BlackBerry® wireless platform and the new BlackBerry PlayBook. For the latest on the BlackBerry PlayBook visit the Inside BlackBerry Blog.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Sage78
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