Huawei 2021 Apps Up competition spotlights African developers
The prize pool includes up to $200,000 for developers in the Middle East & Africa
Image: Supplied/Huawei Mobile Services
Not all superheroes wear capes. Some sit behind a desk conjuring up ways to use technology to make the world a better place. Whether it’s to improve health and education systems, or to alleviate stress and improve mental wellbeing through fun and supportive video games, these apps are always in demand.
The 2021 Huawei HMS App Innovation Contest, Apps Up calls on developers around the world to put their skills to the test on a global stage.
Level up your innovation
Themed “HMS Innovate for All”, the competition aims to inspire talented developers around the world to create seamless, smart and innovative digital experiences, and explore the future of digital intelligence. By highlighting pioneering HMS open capabilities, the competition gives app developers the tools to build a connected world. This includes constructing the future of technology and bringing all-scenario smart life experiences to Huawei end users in more than 170 countries and regions, reaching 650-million Huawei users globally.
Hard work leads to big rewards
The Apps Up competition from Huawei is a real-life example that hard work pays off. The competition will be held in the Middle East & Africa, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and China. Huawei has set aside $1m from the Shining Star programme as prize money.
$200,000 will be allocated for the following award winners in the Middle East & Africa:
- Best Application Award;
- Best Game Award;
- Most Social Impact Award;
- Best HMS Core Innovation Award;
- All-Scenario Coverage Award;
- Excellent Student Award;
- Starlight Creative Award; and
- Honourable Mention Award.
This year’s contest also includes a new Tech Women’s Award and will feature speeches from outstanding women in tech. The aim is to support and encourage women — together with Huawei Women Developers — to realise their dreams by pursuing groundbreaking work.
Winners are also eligible for additional rewards, such as Huawei AppGallery promotional resources, Huawei cloud resources, and exclusive incentives for paid HMS Core capabilities.
How to enter
To enter, participants must register an account on the official competition website, between June 14 and August 20 2021 and sign up as either an individual or as a team of up to three members. All apps must be developed integrating HMS Core and submitted on the same website by August 20 2021.
The panel of judges will preselect work based on social value, business value, user experience and originality, and this will happen between August 21 and September 9. The top 20 shortlisted apps in each region will be made available to the public to download and vote for their favourites on the competition’s official website or Huawei AppGallery from September 11 to 23, before making their way to the finals in October.
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Judges for the contest include technical experts, executives and founders in finance and tech, leading tech media voices, and representatives from non-profit sectors. Their abundant experience will prove invaluable to contestants, inspiring them to greater heights.
More than four-million entrants
The 2020 Huawei HMS App Innovation Contest attracted more than 3,000 teams from 170 countries and regions in the five competition regions. Twenty outstanding apps were shortlisted in each region, among thousands of HMS innovative apps submitted.
These apps covered every facet of daily life, inspiring smart experiences in health and fitness, education, agriculture, environmental protection, transportation, and public safety, among many others. The contest reached more than four-million developers.
Standout entries from SA, which were recognised and rewarded, were as follows:
- Pregnancy educational app, My Pregnancy Journey — Best App and Best Social Impact App winner
- Space adventure game, Gauntlet — Best Game winner
- Space adventure game, Slug Hunter — Honourable Mention
- Load-shedding informational app, load-shedding Notifier — Honourable Mention
This article was paid for by Huawei Mobile Services.