The trip of all trips
It started with a conversation between friends about an app we ourselves had wished for on every group trip we'd ever taken: one that would let guides and travelers communicate easily and reliably, so no one would miss an important update.
You could say the idea was born from a traveler's frustration and an engineer's reflex: if something doesn't work as well as it should, build something better.
That conversation soon grew into something more. We came together around the idea, combining a shared love of travel with decades of experience building software products.
We believed the problem was real and the idea worth pursuing, so we took it to the Innovation Fund of the Republic of Serbia. They agreed — supporting us not once, but twice.
The first round funded early validation: focused market research to test our assumptions, map out user pain points, and confirm the opportunity was real. The second took us from that research into design and development.
Both projects are now complete, and what they funded is live: Vodio.
Innovation Fund grant — market research to test assumptions and confirm the opportunity.
Innovation Fund grant — design and development of Vodio, from concept to working product.
Both grants complete. Vodio is live at vodio.app, and building it is now Helemai's full-time focus.