Vote Dwolla, Front Flip, Leap2 or MyHomework for Mobile App of the Year

Whether they were working to improve online payments, customer engagement, web browsing or homework tracking, the four startups represented in this Silicon Prairie Awards category all earned high marks for their efforts on the mobile front. At our inaugural Silicon Prairie Awards event on Aug. 30, one these four finalists will be crowned Mobile App…

Whether they were working to improve online payments, customer engagement, web browsing or homework tracking, the four startups represented in this Silicon Prairie Awards category all earned high marks for their efforts on the mobile front. 

At our inaugural Silicon Prairie Awards event on Aug. 30, one these four finalists will be crowned Mobile App of the Year. In anticipation of that celebration, we’re providing overviews of the four contenders for each of our 12 Silicon Prairie Awards. The finalists — 48 in all — are the result of public nominations in July and input from our selection committee earlier this month.

A public vote will help determine the winners of the awards, so cast your ballot for the Mobile App of the Year below, or visit the awards page to vote on all 12 categories.

Join us for the Silicon Prairie Awards: We have a fun night of community celebration planned for Aug. 30 at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha. Tickets still remain for the event, which includes an opening reception, keynote talk by TechStars founder and CEO David Cohen, awards ceremony and a closing party. Purchase your tickets today.

Meet the finalists

The Mobile App of the Year featured a notable design and user interface, broke the mold for what we’d expect from a mobile app or reached a high number of downloads. (Italicized app descriptions below from company websites.)

Dwolla empowers anyone with an internet connection to safely send money to anyone or anything through the Dwolla Payment Network. (Des Moines)

Dwolla‘s app (free) allows users to send or request money, utilize Dwolla Instant, which provides immediate access to cash, review recent transactions and find nearby merchants and individuals that accept the payment network. Two of the app’s features grabbed press attention. In August 2011, Proxi, a feature showing Dwolla users nearby, was spotlighted by TechCrunch and Tech Cocktailamong others. In March, Spots, a feature showing nearby merchants that accept Dwolla, was picked up by PC Magazine and The Next Web, among others.

Numbers as of June: Dwolla declined to disclose download statistics.

More: iOSAndroid, Windows PhoneProxi promo video and on SPN

 

With the Front Flip app, you can scan the Flip Code at your favorite businesses to win great prizes on the spot. (Leawood, Kan.)

Front Flip‘s app (free) allows its users to redeem offers from merchants who are on its customer engagement platform. When a user scans a posted QR code – a “Flip Code” – the user is presented a digital scratchcard resembling a scratch lottery ticket. The user rubs their phone’s screen to see if they’ve won a prize, such as a free meal. The app also allows merchants to directly send users chances for more prizes, which may come with the ability to share with a friend.

Numbers as of June: With more than 200,000 registered users, the customer engagement platform can be found in more than 700 business locations.

More: iOSAndroidFront Flip demo videos and on SPN

The Leap2 Search Navigator provides ‘live’ web browsing, keyword navigation, and vertical category selection (local, mobile buzz, etc.) – all in a single interface. (Kansas City, Kan.)

Leap2‘s app (free) is a new take on mobile search, giving users the ability to “leap to” search results instead of scrolling through a list. Features include a category wheel filter that categorizes results, such as images and news; direct-to-web results that load the pages in the results; and tabbed web browsing that takes a user to the next web result when an alternative tab is selected. When Leap2 was released in November 2011, GigaOm shed light on its aim to reimagine search for the smartphone.

Numbers as of June: More than 8,000 downloads. Peak number of queries in one month (April): 59,991.

More: iOSAndroidLeap2 demo video and on SPN

 

With myHomework you can easily know what’s due and when so you will never forget a homework assignment again. (Kansas City, Mo.)

MyHomework‘s app (free) is geared to help students keep track of their homework, classes and projects. Users can track classes, homework, tests and assignments. A $1.99 in-app purchases allows users to activate push notifications, as well as sync their data with an online interface.

Numbers as of June: More than 2 million downloads and more than 25,000 paying users.

More: iOSAndroidmyHomework video reviews and on SPN

 

Vote



 

Credits: All screenshots from the App Store.


Thanks to sponsors that are making this inaugural event a reality: Bellevue University, Hudl, Centennial BankLightbank, West Corporation, Koley – JessenGreater Omaha Chamber of CommerceVerizon WirelessUniversity of Nebraska and our Startup Alley participantsTo learn about more opportunities, contact geoff@siliconprairienews.com.

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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