Payment app wins recognition

A new smartphone app designed to help empower women in developing countries won deserved recognition recently.

Tienda Tek is an app that could’ve been drowned out amid all the latest mobile phone developments showcased at the recent Mobile World Congress 2011 event in Barcelona.

But thanks to a $10,000 prize awarded as one of the winners of the Vodafone-sponsored GSMA mWomen Base of the Pyramid Apps Challenge held at the mobile event recently, the app can help support more female entrepreneurs.

The winning smartphone app enables corner shop businesses in Latin America, the majority of which are run by women, to operate more efficiently by tracking transactions, receiving relevant education, connecting to suppliers and selling virtual goods, such as mobile pre-paid airtime and micro-insurance.

In addition to the cash provided by Vodafone to assist in creating, testing and commercialising the app, the prize winners also receive exclusive access to a leading venture capital firm and top innovation and design company.

The Base of the Pyramid Apps Challenge was first launched in October 2010 as part of the official launch of the GSMA mWomen Programme, which addresses the key barriers to women’s access to mobile phones, including total cost of ownership, technical literacy and cultural barriers to adoption.