What's on your cell phone? Games? Wallpaper? Ring tones? Hockey scores? It could be that some of those fun add-ons have been created by Montreal-based Airborne Entertainment, a mobile content producer.

Founded in 2000 by the team of Andy Nulman, formerly the CEO of Montreal's Just for Laughs comedy festival, and Garner Bornstein, who previously had formed an ISP and web development company, Airborne Entertainment grew out of an earlier idea: funniest.com.

"We wanted to start a humour portal on the web," says Nulman, "but there was no business model. Wireless seemed to show promise with a 'joke of the day' concept, but it ended up morphing into a mobile media company. We work with a lot of well-known brands and take them, plus the content we develop ourselves, across multiple product lines such as ring tones, games and video. We've expanded beyond being a content provider to creating programs and promotions for advertisers on cell phones."

The company works with brands as diverse as Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and the NHL on all possible mobile platforms. But, Bornstein points out, the most important aspect to their success is that they've developed relationships with every major wireless carrier in North America and an increasing number of international service providers.

"You can't talk to these brands unless you can reach all customers," he says.

As a result, the company has increased its revenues from US$107,000 in 2001 to almost US$36 million in 2005 — and, in June 2005, it was acquired by Cybird Co. of Japan for $110 million CD. But, success has also created some challenges, namely keeping up with the growth by hiring well and being able to anticipate change. "This is a business that changes weekly," says Nulman. "The challenge has been to maintain the pace while not losing sight of the revenue you have to bring in, and position yourself now for what's coming in two or three years."

Says Bornstein, "We read everything, watch the web, stay in touch with pop culture, and do focus groups. We have to get good data to support the decisions we make. We're not afraid to take risks."

"The phone is the universal remote control of life," says Nulman. "We'll grow with the industry. We're the Magellans of the mobile world."