Facebook has been trying to encourage application developers to create more engaging and useful applications for the platform. Part of that encouragement has come from financial rewards from the facebook fund. Facebook started a contest a few months back. They chose finalists and then let the facebook user community vote for the the apps they liked best to select the users. I think that the winners are all actually pretty decent apps and that the core concepts behind them are all relatively sound.

Selection criteria was based on team ability, business potential and Facebook’s Guiding Principles, which identify successful applications as being social, useful, expressive, intuitive, and exuding originality of concept, market potential and team success.

“We’re thrilled to see the success of integrating user voting into the fbFund judging process,” said Elliot Schrage, vice president of communications and platform marketing, Facebook. “This has been one of the most effective programs we’ve seen to date that actively engaged users in promoting the development of great applications on Facebook Platform.”

Facebook has just announced the final five grand prize recipients from the FB fund contest, each will receive $225,000 in non-recourse grant funding: KAAAACHIIING!

1) GroupCard – app: http://apps.facebook.com/groupcards
The GroupCard application lets users celebrate any special occasion by sending friends a card signed by the whole group. With GroupCard, users can create a printable online card and pass it around for messages, photos, audio, and gifts.

The online greeting that everyone can sign! from GroupCard on Vimeo.

2) Kontagent – URL: http://www.kontagent.com
Kontagent is the leading viral analytics platform for social network application developers. Kontagent analytics provides deep social data visualization and analysis that delivers actionable insights delivered via a hosted, on-demand service.

Kontagent in 30 Seconds from albert lai on Vimeo.

3) MouseHunt – app: http://apps.facebook.com/mousehunt
MouseHunt is a clever game in which users embody a hunter who must trap the mice infecting the kingdom. Users are rewarded for each mouse caught, as they vie to become the best MouseHunter in the land.

The Secret Life of MouseHunters – Episode 1 from Joel Auge on Vimeo.

4) Weddingbook – app: http://apps.facebook.com/wedsnap_wedding/start.php
Weddingbook is a social network that helps Facebook users prepare for and plan their weddings. Brides and grooms meet on Weddingbook to get advice, support and inspiration during their engagement and wedding planning processes.

Weddingbook from Theo Buchinskas on Vimeo.

5) Wildfire – URL: http://www.wildfireapp.com/
Wildfire is an application that enables consumers to discover, share and engage with interactive promotions like contests, sweepstakes and give-aways, and allows companies to easily create their own attractive, branded promotions that are automatically integrated with Facebook’s social features.

Wildfire Promotion Builder needs your fbFund vote! from Wildfire Interactive on Vimeo.

Share this on: