As much as (if not more than) the social space, mobile is one of the most rapidly exploding markets in the technology industry right now. Whether it’s gaming, payments, augmented reality and beyond, it seems that our little smartphones are perpetually revolutionizing our everyday lives.
Of course, it’s often the entrepreneurs who are best poised to take advantage of these burgeoning technologies and markets.
It’s exactly for that reason then that I took the greatest pleasure in seeing 16 up and coming startups present pitches on stage at MobileBeat2011 this week. These weren’t just any startups though. Divided into two groups of eight, one for consumer services and one for infrastructure, the 16 startups were chosen from over a hundred working tirelessly and with a sharp eye toward the mobile space.
Here I present those startups, along with their brief introductions. Additionally, two startups in each category won awards, one by popular vote and one by judges’ decision. I’ve noted those here.
Consumer
Tappmob – Provides smartphone users with a new generation of highly-specialized apps. *Tappmob won the people’s choice award in this category.
SpeedySwipe – Developers of a mobile commerce solution that uses a smartphone camera to securely complete transactions.
Cross Travel – Creators of an API that powers app experiences, letting consumers find and book hotels or trips from multiple publishers. 
DealNet – Developers of a hyper localized coupon advertising platform for mobile.
Gamzee – Makers of social mobile games that play on every device.
Akibot – Developers of a robot assistant for smartphones.
Polkast – Allows users to access all of the files on a PC directly from a tablet or mobile device securely.
Onavo – Maker of apps to help smartphone users reduce, understand and manage their data. *Onavo won the Tesla award in this category.
Infrastructure
Roar Engine – Maker of a platform that lets anyone easily build social games. *Roar Engine won the Tesla award in this category.
Live Dibs – Maker of a marketplace that will let both consumers and businesses take advantage of deals. *Live Dibs won the people’s choice award in this category.
playSocial – Developers of a distribution API that connects browser-based mobile social games with social networks, web portals and more. 
Global Locating Systems – Maker of a small luggage tag that allows consumers and airlines to track their luggage assets in real-time.
card.io – Maker of an SDK that lets mobile app developers easily implement mobile credit card payments.
Kopo Kopo – Makes it possible for any small businesses in emerging economies to accept mobile payments.
App55 – Creator of a platform that lets any online merchant offer their customers mobile shopping as simple as using Amazon.
Mobile Sense – Creator of tools that allow mobile users to bookmark content of any media type.
