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“The challenge will give startups an opportunity to harness their skills and present game changing ideas and products to the world,” said Orange Telcom CEO Vincent Lobry/FILE

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Orange Developer Challenge taking Kenyan startups

“The challenge will give startups an opportunity to harness their skills and present game changing ideas and products to the world,” said Orange Telcom CEO Vincent Lobry/FILE

“The challenge will give startups an opportunity to harness their skills and present game changing ideas and products to the world,” said Orange Telcom CEO Vincent Lobry/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 12 – The Orange Developer Challenge is now taking app development ideas from Kenyan Startups.

The challenge will take proposals demonstrating the use of the existing Orange APIs which include SMSs, USSD and Operator billing, in the development of applications.

“The challenge will give startups an opportunity to harness their skills and present game changing ideas and products to the world,” said Orange Telcom CEO Vincent Lobry.

As far as scouting for innovative talent in Kenya is concerned, Orange acknowledges the country’s status as a regional hub hence its decision to submit Kenyan startups into the competition.

Apart from Kenya, the challenge which takes participants from African, Middle East and Asian countries (AMEA), will admit startups from 14 countries on the continent and more from Middle East. These include Tunisia, Jordan, Mali and Botswana among others.

According to the company, the challenge will be preceded by local chapters of the same in all AMEA countries, with ten ideas being shortlisted for the global competition.

“Ten proposals will be shortlisted at the local chapter level that will thereafter be expected to develop their applications for submission to a judging panel by November 1.”

And it comes with benefits.

According to the company, the top three applications will win cash prizes. These include a Sh350, 000 prize being awarded to the winner with the first runner-up receiving Sh100,000 and an Orange Klif phone while the second runner-up receiving Sh50,000 and an Orange Klif phone.

“The winning application from the local chapter will compete against other top applications from the rest of the AMEA region and France, for a chance to win the overall global prize of 10,000 Euros that will be presented in Cairo, Egypt, on November 25, 2015,” said a statement from the company.

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Apart from harnessing talent among the youth, the challenge is in a bid by the company to enrich the experience of its customers. Acciording to the company, partnering with developers is the ideal way to identify market needs and expand its portfolio.

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