Uepaa! in a gold rush

Uepaa! is in a gold rush with its ISPO BRANDNEW Award in Munich and a nomination for the Global Mobile Awards in Barcelona. What do these awards mean for you?
Mathias Haussmann: "Until now, we won startup competitions in which our company was in the foreground. Our product even got the "BrandNew Award" in the „Digital“ category at the ISPO in Munich, the largest outdoor and sports fair. Uepaa ! is very proud that the product was judged as „a real innovation“ by a professional audience. Even at the nomination of the Global Mobile Awards our product was the centre of attention. We hope to build contacts with Precious B2B business partners or even social media houses through our presence at the Swiss Pavilion at the Mobile World Congress. The nomination helps us. In addition, our peer -to-peer technology serves many more uses on the Alpine theme of comrade help. For example, the app could offer help against kidnapping or sexual assault. Everywhere where the neighbourhood can help much quicker compared to an emergency response centre. It would be nice if our technique could even set up a new peer2peer standard and benefit social networks. "

After all the prizes you have won: How do you manage not to be megalomaniac?
 “We have other things to worry about and we see the awards and nominations as a cost-effective marketing. We do something ethically correct and pursue a vision that has a broad appeal. Our subject is very grateful and therefor brings us forward but we still remain on the ground level-headed. Finally, it is important that we are able to generate revenue and continue to pay wages. "

What  is your current number of users ?
«Uepaa! has currently about 30,000 users in Switzerland, Germany, France, Austria and Italy. With the ISPO BRANDNEW Award, we managed to establish relations abroad and make them grow. We have now started international PR and marketing activities. "

Are there any specific projects in conflict areas ?
"No, up to now, we have no projects that are in conflict areas. We are, or were, in negotiation with various vendors in the UK, Sri Lanka and India. Emergency communication in border zones such as the Scottish Highlands, that are very poorly developed, would be a possible application. Our technique provides a good initial treatment of communication that is not by using language but instead using a simple exchange of information. "

How unique is your technology on the international market?
"Nowadays, we know nothing like it in comparison, but the fact is that any software is generally poor patentable and therefore could always be copied. However, we parameterized the system extensively and tested it under real conditions. This provides us with a relevant market advantage. "

What would you, as startups that are at the very beginning, give along the way?
"The 20 to 80 rule: a startup never has enough money, never enough time, and too few people. This means you must supply 20% of the time in 80% of the content: finish and bring it on the market as fast as possible. Do not bring things in excess, but rather let the market test how it reacts to it and have the courage to break off certain things and go another way. "

And finally: How did venture kick help you at your beginnings?
"The support of venture kick was great, no exaggeration needed, especially in regards to the kickers camp that really promoted me. It was a way to be kicked out of your comfort zone. Venture kick itself also financially relieved me before the foundation when I first financed myself privately. By winning venture kick, I refinanced and pre-financed all the business development activities. "