In March, Microsoft and Nokia announced plans to launch AppCampus, a mobile application development program based at Aalto University, located in Nokia"s home country of Finland. At the time, the two companies said they will spend over 9 million euros (about $12 million) each over the next three years to fund the AppCampus program.
Now, TechCrunch reports that Microsoft and Nokia have given out the first $1 million in their AppCampus program to 36 smartphone developers. Pekka Sivonen, the head of the AppCampus programs, said that the apps that have been funded by this program will start showing up in October for Windows Phone devices and "other Nokia platforms". The apps will be exclusive to those smartphone devices for six months.
While the full list of apps that have been funded by AppCampus has yet to be released, one of them is a job search program, while another is made especially for kids to help measure their blood sugar.
This new app development and start up funding project will certainly will help Microsoft in filling out its Windows Phone Marketplace with new apps, which is still lacking in numbers behind the iOS and Android numbers.
Source: TechCrunch | Image via AppCampus