Mobile Phone Museum
The Mobile Phone Museum is a UK-registered charity operating a free online museum of over 2800 unique mobile phone models, supplemented by physical exhibitions and KS1/KS2 school workshops, serving technology enthusiasts, collectors, and UK educational institutions through donations and corporate sponsorship.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersCornwall, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Mobile Phone Museum does
The Mobile Phone Museum is a UK-registered charity founded by Ben Wood and operated from Cornwall, England, dedicated to preserving the history of mobile communications. It maintains a catalogued collection of over 2800 unique mobile phone models spanning 40 years of industry evolution, supported by themed curations (James Bond phones, Best Selling, Fashion, Japan, Ugliest Phones), a "Most Wanted" donation wishlist, and educational resources for UK schools covering STEM topics. Its primary audience comprises technology enthusiasts, collectors, and educational institutions (KS1/KS2).
The museum's core technology is an online digital platform delivering a searchable full catalogue, curated collections, and education resources accessible globally via web interface. Distribution occurs through three channels: a self-serve global online platform, a regional physical exhibition ("Going Mobile," partnered with PK Porthcurno, Museum of Global Communications in Cornwall, opened October 2023 and running through October 2024), and direct-to-school workshops in the UK. Educational products include two KS1/KS2 workshops ("Fantastic Phones and Their History," "From Smoke Signals to Smartphones") plus Sustainability and History curriculum resources.
The business model is non-commercial; the museum operates as a registered charity with free online access and relies on individual and corporate donations, flagship sponsorship from Vodafone (which included feature placement in Vodafone's 40th anniversary Christmas advert in November 2024), and limited school workshop fees. The GTM motion is community-led, combining content marketing via the blog, earned media (Sunday Express, Monocle Radio), and strategic partnerships rather than paid acquisition. The disclosed team is minimal (Founder Ben Wood and Education Lead Nix Wood).
Mobile Phone Museum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mobile Phone Museum
- Legal name
- Mobile Phone Museum
- Website
- https://mobilephonemuseum.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Mobile Phone Museum is a UK-registered charity operating a free online museum of over 2800 unique mobile phone models, supplemented by physical exhibitions and KS1/KS2 school workshops, serving technology enthusiasts, collectors, and UK educational institutions through donations and corporate sponsorship.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mobile Phone Museum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Telecommunications Museum
- NAICS
- Museums (71211), Museums (712110)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)
Keywords
Where Mobile Phone Museum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cornwall
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Mobile Phone Museum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable Donations: The organization relies on donations from individuals and companies who contribute mobile phones to the collection. As a registered charity, it operates on contributed funds rather than commercial revenue.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Mobile Phone Museum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Mobile Phone Museum operates as a UK-registered charity providing free online digital access to a curated collection of over 2,800 unique mobile phone models spanning 40 years of mobile communications history. Its core offering consists of a searchable Full Catalogue, themed Collections (James Bond phones, technology firsts, Ugliest Phones, Fashion phones), a Most Wanted donation list, and in-person exhibitions in partnership with established museums.
Product overview
Mobile Phone Museum is a single-platform online museum offering digital access to its collection of over 2800 unique mobile phone models. The core offering consists of a Full Catalogue database for browsing the collection, themed Collections featuring curated phone groupings, and a Most Wanted list for donation requests. The museum also operates an in-person Going Mobile Exhibition at PK Porthcurno in Cornwall. Educational products include two KS1/KS2 workshops (Fantastic Phones and Their History, and From Smoke Signals to Smartphones) plus sustainability and history education resources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Full Catalogue Online searchable database of over 2,800 unique mobile phone models in the museum's collection, allowing the public to filter and explore devices by type, brand, collection, and year of release.
- Curated Collections Curated thematic groupings of mobile phones from the museum's catalogue, including James Bond film phones, technology firsts, iconic innovations, Best Selling phones, Fashion phones, and Ugliest Phones.
- Most Wanted Public wishlist of iconic mobile phones the museum is actively seeking to add to its collection through public and corporate donations, supporting growth of the museum's permanent archive.
- Going Mobile Exhibition In-person exhibition at PK Porthcurno, Museum of Global Communications in Cornwall, showcasing over 70 iconic phones selected from the museum's collection of over 2,800 unique devices, exploring the 40-year history of mobile phones from exclusive status symbol to ubiquitous consumer device.
- Fantastic Phones and Their History Workshop KS1/KS2 STEM workshop taking children through the 40-year history of mobile phones, exploring iconic designs and the evolution of mobile device form factors.
- From Smoke Signals to Smartphones Workshop KS2 workshop exploring the history of communication from early historical methods to modern smartphones, with hands-on artefact handling and exploration of device evolution.
- Sustainability Education Resource Educational resource for schools examining the environmental challenges of mobile phone manufacturing, responsible sourcing, device repairability, and re-use trends.
- History of Mobile Phones Education Resource Educational resource examining the history of mobile phones from their inception in the early 1980s to present day, drawing on vintage devices from the museum's collection.
Companies that use Mobile Phone Museum
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mobile Phone Museum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Mobile Phone Museum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- PK Porthcurno, Museum of Global CommunicationscorePartnership to launch the Going Mobile exhibition exploring the 40-year history of mobile phones at the PK Porthcurno museum in Cornwall. The exhibition features over 70 iconic phones from the Mobile Phone Museum collection, including a children's pigeon trail with mobile phone facts and a Morse code puzzle.
- VodafoneflagshipVodafone is a sponsor of the Mobile Phone Museum and the Going Mobile exhibition, providing promotional support including offering Vodafone VeryMe app subscribers 50% discount on exhibition entry. Vodafone's sponsorship connects to the 40th anniversary of the first commercial mobile phone call on 1 January 1985.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Mobile Phone Museum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- V&A East / Victoria and Albert Museum: Major UK design and applied arts museum that collects and exhibits significant consumer electronics and design objects. Comparable audience and curatorial approach for iconic technology artefacts.
Regional players
- Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum: UK regional science museum with STEM education programming. Comparable as a UK museum offering hands-on technology exhibits and school workshops.
Direct peers
- The Centre for Computing History: UK charity museum focused on computing and consumer electronics history, including mobile devices. Comparable mission of preserving technology artefacts with educational programming and donations.
- PK Porthcurno, Museum of Global Communications: Direct host partner for the Going Mobile exhibition. Comparable as a UK-based museum preserving communications technology history; closely aligned mission and visitor base.
- The National Museum of Computing: UK museum dedicated to preserving computing and communications heritage. Directly comparable as a technology-focused museum with educational programming and a physical collection in the UK.
Emerging players
- Design Museum (London): London museum focused on product and industrial design, including iconic consumer electronics. Comparable in its curation of design-led technology exhibits and education programs.
Broad incumbents
- Museum of Science and Industry (Manchester): UK museum covering industrial and technological heritage including communications. Comparable as a UK science/technology museum with physical exhibits and education outreach.
- Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum: Major German computer and communications museum with broad technology collections. Comparable as a science and technology museum with consumer communications artefacts.
- Computer History Museum: Larger, well-funded US technology museum covering computing history including mobile communications. Comparable as a tech-heritage institution with curated collections, exhibitions, and education programs.
- Science Museum (London): Major UK science museum with significant communications technology holdings, including mobile phones. Comparable visitor base and STEM education programming.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Mobile Phone Museum social profiles
Digital presenceMobile Phone Museum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mobile Phone Museum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Mobile Phone Museum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mobile Phone Museum M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mobile Phone Museum
What does Mobile Phone Museum do?
The Mobile Phone Museum operates as a UK-registered charity providing free online digital access to a curated collection of over 2,800 unique mobile phone models spanning 40 years of mobile communications history. Its core offering consists of a searchable Full Catalogue, themed Collections (James Bond phones, technology firsts, Ugliest Phones, Fashion phones), a Most Wanted donation list, and in-person exhibitions in partnership with established museums.
Is Mobile Phone Museum a public or private company?
Mobile Phone Museum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Mobile Phone Museum founded?
Mobile Phone Museum was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Mobile Phone Museum based?
Mobile Phone Museum is headquartered in Cornwall, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Mobile Phone Museum make money?
One revenue line is on record: charitable Donations.
Who are Mobile Phone Museum's main competitors?
V&A East / Victoria and Albert Museum is listed as an others. Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are The Centre for Computing History, PK Porthcurno, Museum of Global Communications and The National Museum of Computing. Design Museum (London) is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Museum of Science and Industry (Manchester), Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum, Computer History Museum and Science Museum (London).
Does Mobile Phone Museum have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mobile Phone Museum.
What industry is Mobile Phone Museum in?
Mobile Phone Museum's product category is Telecommunications Museum. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAD, Science & Technology Museums. Its NAICS code is 71211 and its SIC code is 7900.