The end of HILFMA: A digital helper network takes stock!

The end of HILFMA: A digital helper network takes stock!

The era of the neighborhood help app HILFMA is coming to an end - a seven-year success story that began during the COVID-19 pandemic and connected thousands of people. Fundamentally launched as a digital solution in a time of crisis, the app was developed in just two weeks and helped over 7,200 users and more than 650 businesses with services ranging from shopping assistance to tutoring. “Our mission was to build a digital bridge to strengthen solidarity in society,” explained Emir Selimović, managing director of the software agency Dotbite, which is behind HILFMA. The response was overwhelming and the public's commitment was enormous - an achievement that also received support from large organizations such as UNIQA and the Austrian Students' Union APA OTS reported.

Although HILFMA continued to be used even after the peak of the pandemic, it turned out that the original need in this form was no longer present. Many volunteer opportunities have been integrated into existing structures or have returned to everyday life. Dotbite plans to invest the resources in innovative digital projects in the future. "HILFMA was always intended as a response to a special time. Now, after almost five years, the right moment has come to say goodbye to this heartfelt project," said Selimović. The team was also behind the successful PCR testing program “Alles Gurgelt!” involved and tirelessly committed to dealing with the pandemic, which illustrates the importance of their work.

To make HILFMA known, all stops were pulled out: around 2,100 mayors in Austria were contacted directly to promote the app in their communities. Millennials and volunteers helped spread the word through flyers, social media and translations into multiple languages, resulting in rapid adoption of the app. “We used Hilfma often and it was incredibly satisfying to help people,” said the founders, who have also appeared in the media FM4 and The standard reported on their initiative. With the end of HILFMA, the vision remains to continue developing digital solutions that provide real value - a clear demonstration of Dotbite's commitment to technology and community.