We're excited to be the competition platform for the Smaato Mobile Advertising Award, which launches today.

In this interview, Smaato CMO and co-founder Harald Neidhardt talks about the competition, which is seeking top mobile app developers. The prize is a free trip (flight and hotel) to Barcelona to present the winning application at the largest mobile conference, called Mobile World Congress.

San Mateo, Calif.-based Smaato sits in between mobile application developers, such as Funambol, Blue Whale Systems, and ad networks, such as its partners Ad Infuse, Millennial Media, AOL’s Third Screen. Unlike AdMob, which is one giant ad network, Smaato is aggregating ad networks to provide its developer partners with more premium ads in local markets around the world. Smaato then shares revenue with its ad network partners. In the U.S., Smaato sees an average of between $10 and $15 CPM for premium ads, such as car ads. Smaato splits that revenue with its ad sales network partners and the developer. Ad sales networks keep 30% to 50%, and the remainder is split between Smaato and the developer, with the developer getting 90%.