Q & A
1. What is the Mobile Brain Bank?
Mobile Brain Bank was founded in 2009 as a non-profit global network of idea-rich individuals, entrepreneurs, and startups and creating new. The network was mostly formed by individuals let go from large corporations in conjunction with the 2008 global recession, and run as a hobby by a handful of people holding daytime jobs.
We continue to believe that new business, product and service innovation is best generated by sharing ideas, sharing experience, and by solving challenges together.
Therefore, we felt that Mobile Brain Bank deserves to be run in a more professional manner, and in 2011 launched an online service helping mobile developers to fulfill their entrepreneurial dreams. This service runs at www.mobilebrainbank.com
Mobile Brain Bank r.y. continues to drive the non-profit agenda at www.mobilebrainbank.org providing startup support, networking events and investment opportunities.
2. Who is behind Mobile Brain Bank?
The network was first ideated by Petra Söderling and soon joined by Sari P.Päivärinta, both long term Nokians at the time. Our first days as a registered association, we had a handful of former Nokia, NSN and Elektrobit employees contributing to the kick-off. Today there are over 2000 people in the network from all over the world.
The Board of Directors for Mobile Brain Bank r.y. in 2011 include Sari P. Päivärinta and Peter Vesterbacka, with Petra Söderling as the chairman.
In 2011 Mobile Brain Bank is also incorporated as Mobile Brain Bank pro Oy. This company is fully owned by Petra Söderling.
3. I have been working in the mobile industry for a number of years, but am not employed at the moment. How can Mobile Brain Bank help me?
There are two ways we can help you. If you are an entrepreneurial spirit, join one of our networking events to discuss locally with others who are in a similar situation as you, browse online at startup related websites, and start to plan for your own mobile company. We will guide you step-by-step in our local startup clinics, give you materials and help find seed funding.
If you feel that entrepreneurship is not for you, you can sign up as a job seeking talent with us. Mobile Brain Bank is actively advertising this network of mobile professionals as an easy way for businesses to go mobile without having to contract large and expensive ICT consulting firms.
Whether you are a software engineer, coder, electronic engineer, radio technology specialist, computer scientist, a marketing or PR professional, or withhold any type of talent needed in the mobile industry, there is someone out there looking for your skills. We will make the match.
4. I would like to start my own mobile company. What to do?
First, you should contact your local authorities and find out what type of support infrastructure exists in your country or area. Mobile Brain Bank is a mobile/ICT specific service organization which can help in some areas, but cannot replace these government or municipality offered support.
Mobile Brain Bank organizes online and face-to-face networking events in those geographical areas which have been hit hardest by layoffs from some of the largest corporations in the industry, participates in industry events and offer channels of information via social media. In addition, we partner with companies offering trainings and courses for mobile developers.
Our contacts to funds, angel investors and other seed capital will be valuable to you when planning your company takeoff.
5. I am an investor, and looking for a share in these new startups that are forming from people becoming vacant from Nokia. What to do.
This is a historical moment in the global mobile R&D scene. Nokia’s shift to using Windows Mobile as their primary smartphone platform is freeing many skilled and experienced individuals in a number of locations in the US, Europe and Asia. Many of them have a deep experience in software engineering from working with the Symbian (C++ base) and MeeGo (Linux base) platforms. With support from Nokia, and the local governments an unforeseen number of mobile technology startups are in the forming.
Mobile Brain Bank has the experience of working with people in this same situation, helping them since 2009 in starting their own company. We can list, select and recommend startup ideas and first phase entrepreneurs to you for prime investment opportunities. We offer standardized tools for you to evaluate their business idea, market and revenue opportunity. All you need to decide is what type of risk you are willing to take, in which product or market categories, and sign up.
6. What type of fees does Mobile Brain Bank carry?
Combining our experience in the mobile space adds up to decades of know-how in global R&D, sales, marketing, investment and finance. We proudly offer a valuable service to all of our customer groups – talents, businesses, startups and investors – both free of charge, or for a reasonable fee.
The fees vary depending on activity, segment and location. Contact us to learn more about the opportunities that we can create together.