Following an intensive process, two Nigerian startups, Nearest Locator and Prowork, are among 13 finalists selected for the VentureOut Challenge— an initiative of infoDev and CRDF Global with support from Co-creation Hub Nigeria— to compete for $10,000 in seed funding before a live audience and a panel of mobile experts in Chisinau, Moldova on November 1, 2013.

The VentureOut initiative was launched to help mobile app entrepreneurs to expand internationally. The finalists include ventures from Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe and Central Asia and represent mobile applications ranging from mobile health focusing on patient-centric health applications to location-based services and different sorts of entertainment including music, gaming and television. The full list of finalists can be found here.

Nearest Locator, one of the Nigerian startups selected, is a location based app that helps you easily find the nearest ATMs, eateries, hospitals, and more. According to Ayoola Ajebeku, Lead Developer at Nearest Locator, “VentureOut Challenge has greatly helped us to re-engineer and re-organize our priorities by improving our business plan and also focusing more on sustainability and growth.” The second Nigerian finalist startup, Prowork, is an app that empowers businesses by bringing project management and collaboration together on one platform. Prowork CEO, Francis Onwumere says, “We are excited to be named as finalists for the VentureOut Challenge. VentureOut is an opportunity to position Prowork to take better care of emerging markets and expand our reach.

To get to the finals, Co-creation Hub, assisted contestants with their applications and provided experienced local mentors to support the semi-finalists ventures. These mentors guided Nearest Locator and Prowork to refine their product offerings and internationalization strategies via a strong pitch deck.

All 13 finalists will receive ongoing mentoring from exceptional entrepreneurs and investors from around the globe who have experience building companies and taking them global. Beyond mentoring the finalists, infoDev and CRDF Global will offer resources for any growing mobile startup to learn necessary skills, make connections, and find inspiration to go global. The conference in Moldova titled “Supporting Access to International Markets for Startups & SMEs” will include hands-on training sessions to help entrepreneurs identify and develop their customer base and learn other critical aspects of business modeling.

About infoDev
infoDev is a global partnership program within The World Bank Group. Its Mobile Innovation Program supports growth-oriented mobile app businesses by enabling entrepreneurship, building mobile innovation communities, and researching the app economy of emerging and frontier markets. www.infodev.org

About CRDF Global
Founded in 1995, CRDF Global is an independent nonprofit organization that promotes international scientific and technical collaboration through grants, technical resources, training and services. www.crdfglobal.org

About Co-creation Hub
CcHUB is a social innovation centre dedicated to accelerating the application of social capital and technology for economic prosperity. Our Innovation hub is Nigeria’s premier living lab designed as a space where work to catalyze creative tech ventures take place. www.cchubnigeria.com