TheStartup.eu

David Hornik just announced the LeWeb 2010 Startup Competition winner(s). The three finalists selected by the jury were Paper.li, Waze and Super Marmite. After their presentation the jury was supposed to choose gold, silver and bronze winners but it seems they weren’t able to find a winner so they revolutionized the prizes and decided to award three different prizes, making all of them winners:

First prize for virality: Paper.li

First prize for technology: Waze

First prize for originality: Super Marmite

BTW, got 2 out of 3.

Today was the startup competition day at LeWeb, and the 16 finalists got the chance to pitch the audience and be judged by some pretty high-profile people. David Hornik, from August Capital, was moderating.

You already know what this startups are doing but I’ll refresh your mind anyways.

• Badgeville

Badgeville is a white label social rewards & analytics platform to make it easy to increase the loyalty and engagement of your web audience. Basically they bring Foursquare-like badges and other kind of achievements to your website.
Badgeville is projecting some $1m in revenues for Q1 ‘11 and is officially launching in Europe today. They already got some investments and coverage.

• Deways

Deways is a personal car sharing community born to target the suburbs. People share their own cars. The average price will be around €0.20 per km. Read TechCrunch Europe article.

• Garmz

Designers can promote and present themselves through uploading their work and get instant feedback from a worldwide audience and customers. If a design is successful, Garmz handles the complete production and offers a complete webshop system, selling the finished fashion to customers worldwide.

Garmz is a Seedcamp 2010 winner.

• Greendizer

A free and open platform to aggregate invoices, messages and payments with customers using only their email address. The team, from Morocco, is very passionate and has a really big vision. Execution will be a problem.

• GreenPocket

Green pocket is a software provider for the interpretation and visualization of smart meter consumption data. The company already secured its Series A round. The centerpiece of the GreenPocket technology is the Energy Expert Engine (EEE), which uses algorithmic and heuristic processes to enable the intelligent interpretation of energy and water consumption data. Energy monitoring tools enable this data to be visualized via web portals, wall-mounted devices or iPhone applications in a consumer-friendly and trendsetting way.

• Needium

Needium monitors social media sources and detects business opportunities based on local user needs and life events. It also listens for merchant name mentions (reputation management). Same stuff as a LOT of other people around.

• Nuji

Nuji makes shopping better by revolutionizing the way you interact with real-world objects. You can tag real world objects via pictures and barcode scanning and online objects via a bookmarklet, you will then get deals on the objects you like.

Nuji is a Seedcamp 2010 winner.

• Paper.li

Paper.li organizes links shared on Twitter into an easy to read newspaper-style format. Newspapers can be created for any Twitter user, list or #tag. A great way to stay on top of all that is shared by the people you follow – even if you are not connected 24/7. Paper.li is already established having got some pretty good coverage, investors bidding on it and Guy Kawasaky as an advisor.

• Phonedeck

Phonedeck is a call productivity application for mobile aficionados. For every incoming call phonedeck shows you automatically who is calling on your computer. Caller profile displays information from your phone book, emails, past SMS, twitter and various social networks. Not bad at all. Read TC EU coverage.

• Pinpoints

PinPoints allows an address to be converted in a short url that can be then shared via emails, SMS, forum posts, blogs, tweets etc. Basically a Bit.ly for maps. Big deal. TC EU covers it.

• Sociablitz

Still not sure what Sociabliz was doing there as they advertise themselves as a social media agency. They have some proprietary software for Facebook Pages marketing. Super big deal.

• Super Marmite

The first social network to buy and sell homemade dishes. Won’t comment that much on this. Basically if you’re hungry your neighbor can cook you dinner and you pay him.

• TagPay

TagPay’s revolutionary technology can transform any mobile phone into a secure payment or authentication tool. This sounded pretty cool indeed, but the founder didn’t explain very well the technology. They are using audio to make payments. You don’t need a bank account, you just need a phone number, and once you receive a payment you automatically have an account. They are targeting african countries.

• Tinypay.me

A very easy was to start selling whatever you want online. Hmm.. it’s 2010? Anyways, they announced a new version of their service which includes marketplaces.

• Waze

Waze is a social mobile application providing free turn-by-turn navigation based on the live conditions of the road. The israeli company is moving to Palo Alto and news just broke that they raised a MASSIVE $25m series B round. Not really fair. They already have some 2.2 million drivers on their platform.

• Work for us

Work for Us, Facebook’s #1 recruiting app, allows companies to find and hire candidates through the world’s largest social network. Over 3,000 companies use the “Work for Us” application (growing at a rate of 1,000 per month). Key clients include Accenture, PwC, Cisco, L’Oréal, American Apparel, P&G, Sodexo, Amadeus, and Areva.

A few words regarding this startup competition.
There was a big french presence and I need to say that while I respect the decisions of the people who selected these companies, in my opinion this is not the best of the european scene. Also, these companies are in completely different stages so its pretty impossibile for someone like Nuji to compete with Waze and its $25 millions in the bank. I think there should be strict rules in startup competition but unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be the case. Ever. NY Techcunch Disrupt conference had the same problem. (Soluto won, having $8 million in the bank while Ujam founded just 2 months earlier and with an awesome product got nothing).
But without further adue, here are my 3 predicted finalists:

• Paper.li
• Waze
• Badgeville

This are also the companies that are well ahead and strongly positioned to be big successes (not really sure for Badgeville, lot of things I don’t like there), and the ones that are out of the league in this competition. My special mentions goes to TagPay.

We’ll see tomorrow who the actual finalists and presenters will be. Tonight I’m off at the official LeWeb party with Bob Sinclair.

Fabrizio Capobianco, founder of Funambol, the open source mobile cloud company, today announced that he is stepping down as CEO of the company. Amit Chawla has been appointed CEO to expand the company’s global footprint with carriers and enterprises. Capobianco will assume the positions of President and Chairman of the Board, where he will focus on the company’s strategic direction and partnerships.

Update: Fabrizio explains his move on his blog.

“Amit’s extensive telco and operational background will help Funambol get to the next level,” said Fabrizio Capobianco, Funambol President and Board Chairman. “I am thrilled that Amit has joined us and look forward to teaming with him to take the company to new heights.”

Amit Chawla previously was CEO of enterprise mobility specialist Agito Networks, which was acquired by ShoreTel, where he guided the firm from an early stage startup to the acquisition. As CEO of NexVerse Networks, Chawla spearheaded the merger with a division of ECI Telecom to form Veraz Networks which was listed on the NASDAQ in 2007.

“Funambol is the leader of open source mobile cloud sync solutions for billions of phones and connected devices,” said Amit Chawla as newly appointed CEO. “The company’s technology is widely deployed by major mobile companies worldwide. We now have the opportunity to significantly grow this success by expanding Funambol’s global carrier footprint and enterprise adoption.”

My opinion is that Funambol is bringing on Chawla for his major experience in successfully exiting similar businesses, and thus is preparing a huge M&A or IPO in the near future. Funambol has raised close to $20 million to date and is now experiencing unprecedented demand for its open source mobile cloud software. The company recently signed its 50th Carrier Edition customer, including several tier-1 carriers and device makers. Ten companies are launching services based on Carrier Edition this quarter..

Funambol was founded by two italians in Silicon Valley, it has its headquarters in Redwood City and a major tech development center in Pavia, Italy.

This is a guest post from Jasmine Stephenson, she is a freelance writer and travel blogger. She is currently exploring South America. She is also a guest blogger for Pounding the Pavement and a writer on the subject of becoming a nail technician for the Guide to Career Education.

Advice on if an MBA for entrepreneurs is necessary varies widely and remains a controversial subject. As an entrepreneur, you may have a solid idea and sufficient funding. However, doubts linger about whether you are educated enough to open a business or if you’d benefit from an MBA. Here we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of each to help make your “back to school or not” decision easier.
Pro: Networking opportunities abound.
Depending on the type of business you’re thinking of starting, networking within your graduate school can be a great benefit. School opens you up to professors, advisors, and classmates who are all interested in creating success in business. You may find a potential partner, expound upon your existing idea, or open up word-of-mouth working avenues.
Con: It doesn’t guarantee success.
No matter how many degree titles you can tack on the end of your name, none of them is a guarantee for success. More and more college graduates are complaining about lack of job opportunity due to high unemployment rates and increased competition. In fact, several famous entrepreneurs have been able to enjoy excessive success without a college education, namely Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Walt Disney.
Pro: Gain skills you don’t have.
You might be a naturally persuasive salesman, have a knack for numbers, or be an effective communicator. While you shine in one area, you may lack in others. Going to school for an MBA will empower you with skills you don’t possess, such as accounting techniques, marketing tips, and budgeting.
Con: It won’t matter to your clients or partners.
When is the last time you went to buy a product or utilize a company’s service, then hesitated at the counter before asking, “Wait a minute. Does the owner have an MBA?” Never. If your company shows promise, your products and services are of superior quality, and you are a reliable provider, no one will think about or care if you have an MBA diploma hanging on your wall.
Pro: Gain valuable insight from professors.
If you’re planning on attending a top-notch university, you’ll benefit from knowledgable professors. Hopefully, your instructors will have experience in the field in all aspects of business, from marketing to managing client relationships to standing out from the competition. These veteran professionals will be able to share insight with you that you would not have received otherwise.
Con: It’s cost prohibitive.
Let’s face it – getting an MBA isn’t inexpensive, with costs averaging at about 20,000 Euros. To pay for this degree, you’ll have to either drain your savings or take out a loan. Ask yourself if it’s worth the financial damage to earn this degree? Also consider if this money would best be used as an investment in your startup as opposed to in school.
Pro: Find inspiration through concrete examples.
Dedicated entrepreneurs will spend time reading case studies, marketing psychology books, and biographies of successful people. The reality, however, is that it is a small minority of people who have this dedication, drive, and insight to look for these solid real-life examples. Being enrolled in an MBA program, however, will guarantee your exposure to role models and success stories. Not only will these provide a source of encouragement, but will also show you the tactics, personality traits, and decisions that foster success in business.
Con: You’ll lose time.
A master’s in business administration program normally takes one to two years, depending on whether a part-time or full-time path is chosen. If you do decide to pursue the MBA, you won’t even begin to start your company for another one to two years. On the flip side, in two years, you could have already had 24 months’ worth of experience building your company, ironing out
kinks, and perfecting your product or service. A year or two is a lot of time to spend in school if you feel ready to start your business now.

So the time of the year has come when everyone involved in the EU startup scene begins to book his tickets, look for a couch to crash on and buy his LeWeb tickets.

The major european tech conference is on again, in Paris on the 9th and 10th of December. The speakers are the top of the line you’d expect and they include: Gary Vaynerchuk, Yossi Vardi, Alexander Tamas, Barry E. Silbert, Robert Scoble, Kevin Rose, Dave McClure, Matt Mullenweg, Marissa Mayer, Phil Libin, Salim Ismail, David Hornik, Dennis Crowley, Jeff Clavier and dozen of others.

Also, there’ll be the classic startup challenge hosted by TechCrunch, and the 16 finalists that are going to present are:

• Badgeville Inc (NETHERLANDS)
• Cauwill Technologies (IRELAND)
• City M (FRANCE)
• Desk.io GmbH (GERMANY)
• Fiddme (ISRAEL)
• Garmz (AUSTRIA)
• Greendizer (FRANCE)
• GreenPocket GmbH (GERMANY)
• Nuji (UNITED KINGDOM)
• Praized Media Inc. (CANADA)
• Smallrivers (SWITZERLAND) (Paper.li)
• Super Marmite (FRANCE)
• Tagattitude (FRANCE)
• Tinypay.me (NETHERLANDS)
• Waze (ISRAEL)
• Work4 Labs (FRANCE/USA)

Expect some major coverage on this very blog.

I attend a LOT of conferences, and I must say that last year’s Europas was by far the best one. Kudos to Mike and co for hosting it.

As expected, Techcrunch is hosting it again this year. The 2010 edition will be held in London on november 19th, the venue will be the amazing Paramount (Top floor, Centre Point, 101-103 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1DD).

If you’re into the eu startup scene, you should most definitely attend. Grab your tickets here.