A collaboration between the World Bank’s infoDev, Nokia and AppCampus with innovation hubs throughout Africa, Latin America and Asia has been announced at the Fifth Global Forum on Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship in East London, South Africa.
The recently launched collaboration is believed to be an empowering factor for innovation hubs and will fast track their access to funding by AppCampus, a mobile application accelerator programme partnered with Microsoft and Nokia, run by the Aalto University in Finland.
“Here we are, I think, on the cusp of this network of community and knowledge and business and exchanges… It’s just the perfect time to be able to work with AppCampus,” said Valerie D’Costa, programme manager for infoDev.
D’Costa added: “With all of the exciting apps that we’ve seen coming out of the labs just in Africa… at least 200 apps have been commercialised.”
She said working together with AppCampus will help infoDev and their mobile applications labs (mLabs) to identify and grow more innovative entrepreneurs, supply them with the requisite access to finance, and give them business training and mentorship.
Forming part of the announcement made at the forum, 26 annual awards have been launched for the best innovative mobile ideas made through the mobile innovation hub network and will begin with infoDev’s mLabs in South Africa, Kenya, Vietnam and Armenia.
The awards will also begin with mobile application hubs in Nigeria and Egypt in Africa and Mexico in Latin America.
The value of the awards will range from US$33,000 to US$70,000 and will depend on the business model or the complexity of the solution.
“By working jointly with the mobile innovation hubs, we are able to connect more effectively with local developers in emerging markets and provide support in terms of funding, especially for locally relevant innovations,” said Pekka Sivonen, head of AppCampus.
Both the mLabs and hubs will scout for talent and also be responsible for vetting ideas.
Those deemed as the best new entries derived from the network will compete with each other each quarter for available awards.
“The AppCampus collaboration showcases our commitment to strengthening the growing mLab network around the world and infoDev’s vision of supporting emerging market entrepreneurs in conquering local, regional and global markets,” said Jussi Hinkkanen, vice president of corporate relations for Nokia Middle East and Africa.
