6. In8Mobile
Year founded: 2007
Staff: 10
Privately funded by an undisclosed group of angel investors and founded by former Verizon Wireless Data Services president Gary Schulman, In8Mobile develops audio and video technology for mobile entertainment services. So far their work has yielded V Cast Song ID from Verizon, a Shazam-like app that identifies songs that are playing from a database of over 4 million tracks.
Moving forward, the company is turning its attention to a mobile consumer app called In8-ID that is launching next year and will combine its audio and video technologies. So, say you're flipping through a magazine spread and you spy an enviable high-end sports car but can't figure out the make and model. Snap a photo via the app, and the app will identify it for you, give product information, show nearby retailers, and automatically enter contests to win it. Companies will not only benefit from brand promotion but will also gain access to user data, including behavior information, area codes, GPS coordinates, and even past service usage.
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Last updated December 06 2010: 10:54 AM ET
