5 Creative Startups From Europe
Need a startup idea inspiration? Even the most creative people are abandoned by their muses from time to time. You need to somehow call them back… or use the muse of someone else. I’ve conducted some thorough research to select not the richest or the most popular startups, but the most creative ones. Why? To blow some wind into your sails of course!
Heek
“We have to create our own website” – the phrase that usually comes with a lot of complications (money, time, knowledge, blah blah blah.) This French-based startup found an awesome solution. The first thing you see on heek.com is “Hello. My name is Heek. Together we are going to make your website in just one chat”. What can be more attractive for novice entrepreneurs than a promise to create a website in one chat? The bot asks you some questions about your business, site and yourself and then proposes different designs.
Lagom
They say: “To jump on a trend.” Most probably you’ve heard about Hygge, the Danish secret of happiness. The conception that, according to some magazines, everyone’s been obsessed with. Now comes Lagom, another Scandinavian way of living, that can be translated as “not too much, not too little”. The UK-based startup offers a minimalist browser start page, which includes only the date, time, current weather, search and my favorite, a new simple design every day. We spend a lot of time on our internet browsers, what if the constant ‘new-tabbing’ window will be reminding you to take a breath? The idea can be useful for those who want to have a second of calmness, before diving deep into the Internet ocean again. As for me, in the world of advertisement, it’s salvation!
ByHours
Are there any travelers amongst us? Then you know how helpful it could be at times, to stay in the hotel for just a few hours; to take a shower, have a nap. Well, this Spanish-based startup has answered our prayers. The founders have launched an online booking platform for micro stays! You can spend just 3, 6 or 12 hours in more than 2500 hotels around the world and only pay for the time you stay. Isn’t it a brilliant idea?
Welltory
They call themselves a “Personal wellness laboratory.” Imagine, this freemium app can interpret your body’s reactions to different life situations and activities. Why don’t you have enough energy during the day? What causes stress in your life? What kind of lifestyle factors can help you to improve your well-being? This is what the app was created for, to give you the answers. Established in St. Petersburg, Welltory offers one more thing, for deeper analysis, it can be integrated with more than 70 fitness apps and gadgets.
FashionTouri
For those who like shopping and travelling, this Vienna-based startup invented something extremely useful. “Shop like a Local!” that’s the slogan of the company. Imagine, you arrive in a new city, you want to buy some extraordinary things that express the local culture by design itself. Using the FashionTouri app you just look for the stores on the map, go there and
‘boom!’, your wish is fulfilled! So, we are not talking about regular network shops, that you can find everywhere, but the special ones, established by local designers. The startup is helping those designers become more visible and at the same time providing great help to those who like exploring the culture, through fashion and design.
How do you feel now? Any new ideas? I can almost feel that something is maturing in your head, just let it express itself. As one good friend once told me, taking a risk is like jumping in the dark. It can be fluffy ground, or it can be a fall of panic and gasping for air. You never know. But remember one thing, there is no right moment, there is only right now. Good luck!
