Washington state delegation bound for Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain
Department of Commerce hosts 12 innovative companies, showcases state’s massive information and communications technology sector at world’s premier mobile tech conference, Feb. 27 – March 2
With more than 90,000 software developers and 14,000 companies, Washington State is the epicenter for innovation in cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), as well as gaming, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Executives from 12 businesses in the state’s massive information and communications technology (ICT) sector join the Department of Commerce next week for Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, the world’s largest conference for the mobile tech industry, attended by over 100,000 people from 206 countries last year.
The Choose Washington pavilion, located in App Planet, Hall 8.1, B58, features a mix of startups and established businesses, including Syntonic, a mobile platform services company whose CEO and co-founder, Dr. Gary Greenbaum, will give a keynote speech highlighting the emergence of new consumer mobile access models at a Mobile Ecosystem Forum Feb. 28. Other exhibitors featured in the Choose Washington pavilion are: Apptentive, Buddy®, Glympse®, Guppy Games|Media, iBugle, Meylah Corporation, Qikspace, Sirqul™, TouchBase, Tupl, UpTop™ and the Economic Development Council of Seattle-King County. Supporting the trip are the Washington Technology Industry Association and tech news site GeekWire.
“Washington is famously a center for innovation in digital media and mobile technology development,” said Brian Bonlender, state Commerce Director. “Today, an estimated 127 new things are connected to the internet every second, bringing exciting opportunities for entrepreneurs and tech workers everywhere. This industry is strengthening communities well beyond the Puget Sound tech corridor. The next wave of transformative technologies will create new businesses and jobs throughout the state.”
“Buddy Platform has been a proud partner in the Choose Washington Pavilion at Mobile World Congress every year since 2012. The support we get from the Washington State Department of Commerce, like the export voucher program, is very helpful,” said David McLauchlan, CEO of Buddy Platform. “From business matchmaking services to managing show logistics, Commerce’s expertise and the resources they offer to the delegates are critical for allowing us to focus on our business goals and maximize ROI.”
“This is the second time Tupl has participated in Mobile World Congress – the largest event of the year – as part of the Washington State pavilion,” said Petri Hautakangas, CEO of Tupl Inc. “With the incredible support provided by the Department of Commerce team, last year we tracked up over 20 high-value meetings that allowed us to accelerate the growth of our business. We are confident that MWC 2017 will be no different!”
The Department of Commerce team organizes business matchmaking introductions for their exhibitor companies to meet with mobile carriers, hardware manufacturers, enterprise mobility strategists and marketers to negotiate licensing agreements and grow global awareness of their unique technologies and services. Members of Commerce delegations have reported over $13.5 million in new sales from participation in this event over the last five years.
Many small and medium-sized tech companies would not be able to attend international trade shows of this caliber without export vouchers provided by Commerce. Made possible through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s State Trade Expansion Promotion (STEP) program, these reimbursement-style grants will help offset the cost of international business development for 10 of this year’s 12 delegate companies.
Washington State ICT Industry Snapshot:
- 14,000 companies
- 267,000+ high tech workers
- 90,000 software developers
- 330+ game design companies
- $700 million in 140 venture capital investments, another 260 startups financed by founders and angels
- $600 billion in market cap among the top 10 public ICT companies
- $2+ billion generated from apps development annually
For more information on the Choose Washington Pavilion’s featured companies, visit us online and follow us during #MWC17 on twitter and Facebook @WAStateCommerce.
In Barcelona: Please join us for a networking reception at 5 p.m. each afternoon, Feb. 27, 28 and March 1 at App Planet Stand 8.1 B58. On-site contacts: Rob Fiddick +1 206 2578362, Lucy Atkinson +44 7899 804036.
Contact:
Penny Thomas, Commerce Communications Office, (206) 256-6106