Mobikyo

Tokyo, Japan, Feb. 27, 2008 -- Mobikyo KK today announced the MobileMonday Tokyo 2008 Peer Awards Competition will be held in the reception room at Shinsei Bank headquarters in Chiyoda-ku on Monday 24 March. Delegates from eligible Japan-based mobile companies will take the stage to make a three-minute 'elevator-style' pitch to a panel of expert judges. The local winner of each category will proceed to the Asia regional finals against the best-of-the-best coming from other MoMo APAC city chapters. The top three from each category will then be invited to compete, all expenses paid, with winners from regional finals in the Americas and Europe at the Global Peer Award Finals at the MobileMonday Global Summit to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 19 May 2008.

Candidate companies must fall into one of three categories:
- Start-ups: Recently founded with early-stage financing
- Emerging: Operating between Series A & B funding
- Academic: Students in an accredited university program

The contest is open to content, service or application developers, targeted at B2B or B2C customers and/or running on Java, Brew, Symbian or Flash. There is no restriction on the business model, platform or market segment; however with respect to going global, all presentations must be made in English."This is a fantastic opportunity for smaller domestic companies to demonstrate innovative concepts and solutions to their peers and ultimately a global audience" said MobileMonday Tokyo Co-Founder Lawrence Cosh-Ishii. "We are very excited to help enable local up-and-coming mobile players to showcase their talent and vision in front of key representatives from the international community, and we thank Shinsei Bank for sponsoring the event by providing the venue." he continued. "Mobile Monday's ultra-global and super-local model has once again illuminated some of the world's most innovative rising mobile companies", said Jari Tammisto, CEO of Mobile Monday Oy, following the Barcelona Peer Awards held during the recent Mobile World Congress event. The deadline for submissions is noon on Friday March 7. Eligible candidates are encouraged to contact MobileMonday Tokyo organizers directly for registration details via http://www.mobilemonday.jp

About Shinsei Bank
Shinsei Bank is a leading diversified Japanese financial institution providing a full range of financial products and services to both institutional and retail customers based on a three-pillar strategic business model comprising institutional banking, consumer and commercial finance and retail banking. The Bank has total assets of US$104 billion on a consolidated basis (as of December 2007) and a network of 43 outlets that includes 36 Shinsei Financial Centers, 2 Platinum Centers and 5 BankSpots in Japan. Shinsei Bank demands uncompromising levels of integrity and transparency in all its activities to earn the trust of customers, staff and shareholders. The Bank is committed to delivering long-term profit growth and increasing value for all its stakeholders. News and other information about Shinsei Bank is available at: http://www.shinseibank.com/english/index.html

About MobileMonday
MobileMonday is an open community of mobile industry visionaries, developers and industry insiders fostering cooperation and business development through live networking events to share ideas, best practices and trends from global markets. Chapters are now active in over 60 cities worldwide and new locations continue to launch monthly. Originating in Helsinki, Finland, in 2000, MobileMonday events are organized by a international team of over 200 volunteers and it has become one of the world's largest mobile community networks. MobileMonday Tokyo is the leading networking organization supporting Tokyo’s mobile industry and has become a key gathering point for corporate managers, entrepreneurs, developers, analysts and the media in Japan. Launched in 2004, MoMo Tokyo hosts regular networking events that routinely attract 100-200 participants working within the wireless industry.

About Mobikyo K.K.
Based in central Tokyo, Mobikyo's core business is the production and dissemination of media content, market intelligence and network contacts for those seeking to establish, expand or strengthen their partnerships and commercial relations with Japan's wireless and IT industries. The company publishes Wireless Watch Japan, organizes MobileMonday Tokyo networking events, operates Mobile Intelligence guided missions and provides various related custom research and consulting services.