Atomite: Melding Emerging Markets, Global Brands and Mobile Devices
Project Description
The selected students will play an integral role in the technical build out of Atomite, a start-up enterprise that sits at the intersection of emerging markets, mobile communications and reward-based digital ad targeting. (See ‘Prerequisites’ below for expected deliverables and required skill sets but, given that Atomite is a start-up, the students should expect to be called upon to wear many technical hats).
At a high level, upon exiting stealth mode, Atomite will serve as a patented mobile-based rewards platform for consumers in emerging markets, rewarding those consumers who engage in certain actions (e.g., completing consumer surveys, trying new products or serving as brand ambassadors) with marketrelevant consideration subsidized by brands (e.g., free mobile minutes, coupons for brand-offered products or brand-sponsored vouchers for basic staples (e.g., mosquito nets, powdered milk, rice, school and shelter supplies, electricity/drinking water)). In return, brands gain access to invaluable market intelligence in emerging markets—for many companies, the next commercial frontier—as well as the halo effect of improving the daily lives of millions of people.
As envisioned, working with its mobile carrier partners in emerging markets, Atomite will seek to help emerging market consumers realize the below scenarios:
• a consumer in Nigeria will be provided free wireless minutes from MTN in exchange for responding to consumer survey questions posed by Danone on the consumer’s MTN device;
• a consumer in Zambia can trade in one ZTE phone for an upgraded version with the Atomite app pre-loaded in consideration for the consumer’s undertaking to launch the Atomite app to redeem a mobile coupon from Unilever for its Lifebuoy personal hygiene products;
• a consumer in Ghana can redeem a P&G-sponsored voucher for powdered milk in exchange for agreeing to tweet about the exchange on Twitter.
We’re early-stage and can offer the selected students an opportunity to view firsthand the build out of an enterprise that is seeking to make a meaningful difference in emerging markets and, to the extent that the experience proves to be rewarding for all parties, a potential opportunity to join Atomite fulltime at a later date.
Organization
Atomite
Organization Mission
Serving as the mobile bridge between global brands and emerging market consumers.
Mentor
Stephen Goldbaum, CTO
stephen.goldbaum@atomite.net
Stephen Goldbaum has extensive experience building innovative, high profile software systems across a wide range of industries. He is currently founder and CTO of Atomite as well as the global architect for an automated trading system in the finance industry. Prior to that he ran a technical consulting firm for over ten years. His list of former clients includes CNBC, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, The Wall Street Journal, BMG, NBCUniversal, Credit Suisse, Sony, and Motorola to name just a few. Stephen started his career with formative experiences at IBM, Sun Microsystems and Netscape Communications.
Stephen holds a M.S. in Computer Science from NYU and a B.F.A. in Music Performance from the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music.
Project Coordinator
Jon Fisse—Atomite CEO
jfisse@atomite.net
Prerequisites
Any required experience or technical skills in order to carry out the project.
Students will participate in building a platform for managing clients, users, and surveys as well developing algorithms to analyze survey results. The project will utilize industry standard technologies including REST, Java, HTML 5, Hadoop, and Scala. Tasks will include designing and implementing data models and mobile focused client applications.