Does down time during the holidays have you thinking about creating the next great app for Windows Phone? If so, we have a program that might help make the season bright.
Through a joint project with Aalto University, Microsoft and Nokia created AppCampus, a mobile app accelerator program designed to help developers bring their innovative apps to market. Together, Microsoft and Nokia have pledged to invest up to €18 million in this program over the next three years. AppCampus is also open to applications for Nokia platforms, including Symbian and Series 40.
Applicants whose apps are selected for the program can receive cash awards varying from €20,000 (approximately $25,000) to €70,000 (approximately $90,000), depending on the complexity of the app. AppCampus also provides world-class training, coaching, and marketing and distribution support. And unlike some other startup accelerators, the AppCampus program doesn’t take equity or commission from the awards. Selected apps must commit to a short exclusivity period on Windows Phone (or the relevant Nokia platform) after the app is published. You can find the complete terms and conditions here.
While its home base is Aalto University in Finland, AppCampus is a global program— it’s open to all developers, designers, and entrepreneurs around the world who have innovative, first-to-market ideas and superior ability to deliver quality and performance. More than 1,500 applications from 85 countries have been submitted already, and we’re still looking for more great apps. In fact, AppCampus is partnering with many top-tier startup programs and event organizers to reach promising mobile startups around the world. Most recently, AppCampus joined forces with Slush, the flagship startup event of Northern Europe and Russia, and awarded €20,000 to the best Windows Phone 8 app idea. AppCampus is also partnering with the Microsoft BizSpark program and will be running AppCampus contests in China and Germany in January 2013—stay tuned for more details.
If you have an idea for the next great app for Windows Phone and would like to be considered for an AppCampus award, visit http://www.appcampus.fi to learn more about the program or to submit your application today!
December 21 update: Just in time for the Holiday season, the first AppCampus funded project, Haunted, is now available on the Windows Phone Store! Developed by Tuliotus Ltd., Haunted is a chain physics puzzle game that took place in a dungeon. Different from a traditional dungeon game, where you solve conflict with weapons, the player makes creative use of chains, torches, iron balls and anything else he finds to complete the puzzle. The game is available on both Windows Phone 7 and 8 with a free trial available.
Check out the game here and let us and the developer know what you think!