Get on top of things with GeoBoard

Apps take up a lot of space on our smart phones and companies spend a lot on applications that are only used for a limited period of time. The developers behind GeoBoard have found a solution to this, as well as the issue of apps often just having one single objective. We had a chat with Naima and Daniel to find out more. 

– GeoBoard offers complete digital context for their users. In the app you find discussion threads on the area you are visiting and quality information about places around you. Channels appear in the app as personal pages that belongs to, for instance, theme parks, tourist information, shopping centres or festivals. Once you click on them they become dynamic and you can find restaurant menues, live schedules etc., says Naima Yosef. 

Many companies want to build their own apps for marketing and often spend a lot of money on that, says Naima. She mentions Melodifestivalen and Almedalen as examples - they are used for about a month each year and then most people delete them because they don't need them anymore. Using GeoBoard means that companies can build their own channel in the app instead and save huge sums of money on development. In addition, there is already a user baase and no need for people to download yet another app, Naima and Daniel point out. 

– We want to have everything in one place and it should be relevant for your exact location, says Naima. 

REACHING OUT TO STUDENTS 

GeoBoard was accepted into the KTH Innovation  pre-incubator during last year and has developed rapidly. Today they have a fully fledged app to offer and are going for a strong launch among the new students at KTH this autumn. 

What kind of support have you had from KTH Innovation?
– We have ha a lot of support in many different ways. Worth mentioning is that our very first user base were the other KTH Innovation startups - we help each other all the time. We have a also had tickets and access to various events and exhibitions, such as our participation in Startup Day where we tested the app on a bigger scale for the first time, says Naima.

– Another great help was getting server credits, that was perfecty for us, Daniel adds. 

GeoBoard is a compact little app that is meant not to take up too much space for users. It's limited to 4,2 MB on iOS and 1,9 on Android. Most similar apps are around 40-50 MB, says Daniel. The team are hoping that this means more people will be able to use the app, as many users are very selective when chosing what apps to download. 

So what are you up to right now?
– Right now we are developing the CMS system. We want users to be able to personalise their profile and are making it completely adjustable when it comes to colours and graphic profile. Users are going to be able to use drag and drop to make the app look exactly the way they want. We are currently building the platform for this, says Naima. 

And what about the future, where are you heading this autumn? 
– At the moment we are thinking about what our next step will be when we leave this place. Maybe we'll move to a different incubator or go it alone, says Naima. 

Great news that you are going to keep it up, what do you like best about being an entrepreneur?  
– I'm enjoying it so much that I can't imagine doing anything else, says Daniel.

– I have four part time jobs and think it's worth it, adds Naima. I know people who work 8-17 and are so exhausted, but I turn up here without feeling tired at all because it's so much fun and you hang with your best friends at the same time. 

Hopefully we'll be able to make some money on it in the future, they add. 

Do you want to know more about GeoBoard and download the app?

Visit their website here!

Emelie Södergren
emesod@kth.se

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