Alvaro Pintadofor them it’s been just 20 years This November, he has become a young entrepreneur shaking the foundation of the technology industry start up as if standing before giants Google, Microsoft and Amazon. is called hello.app And its business model is based on building decentralized storage network already nicknamed “The Airbnb of Data”.
The search for investors started from one power point And knocking on doors like IESE, ESADE, CastiVentures or BCombinatorLots of presentations aimed at raising money: “We got 100 ‘no’s’ and two ‘yes’s.” Ultimately they managed to raise 300,000 euros of capital during the first round with their partner. He says he allocated a portion to acquire the domain, which was “the largest purchase in history”.
“I started from scratch, presenting myself as a kid who knew hardly anything, but who had a clear idea: Data storage power must be redistributed“, he claims. He criticizes multinational companies Google, Amazon and Microsoft “They basically have centralized farms that dominate the entire internet.” “They control the information, the prices, everything. We need alternatives that empower people, because that’s where the power should always be,” the young man shouts with the conviction that has already The question has been answered thousands of times “There must be control and it does not depend on just three companies that hold a monopoly on information and the Internet and on which we all depend,” he insists.
This concept is as simple as it is disruptive. just like that airbnb Connecting those who have homes to those who need housing, Hello.app connects those who have extra storage space on their devices (mobile phones, tablets, computers) to those who need space to store their data. Is. “This is a Peer to peer network, person to personWhich allows us to take advantage of the hardware we already have to store information, without relying on large centralized servers,” summarizes Pintado.
This innovation also reduces costs and increases accessibility for users around the world. “Everything we see on the Internet—apps, photos, websites—is stored somewhere. Whoever controls that storage has immense power over information, narrative, and ultimately themselves. Decentralization is not just a technological change, it is a paradigm shift,” he says.
C++ Programming Language: Creating Station with std::executeA domain at the price of gold
To strengthen his idea, Álvaro made a controversial decision: invest 115,000 euros in the purchase of hello.app domainA move that was criticized by many. “It was the most expensive purchase of a domain in the history of Spain, and of course, people didn’t understand it at first. Even some partners were against it. But I was clear: this domain was important to our identity, our brand, and our positioning. Now we have received offers to buy it, triple what we paid at that time,” he comments with a mixture of pride and satisfaction.
However, proficiency is only the tip of the iceberg. works in company algorithm Which promises to further optimize the decentralized network. Companies from around the world have already shown interest in both the domain and the underlying technology. Hello.app has one 35% of users are in the United States, the other 30% are in Europe And the rest was distributed around the world. Currently, it is only available as a web application, but Alvaro anticipates that Release of versions for iOS and Androidplan of early 2025Will multiply the number of users by ten. “We’re talking about potential growth that could take us from 200,000 current users to a million in our first full year,” he explains.
youth is like a double edged sword
Youth has allowed them to differentiate themselves from hundreds of seasoned entrepreneurs, but it has also worked against them. “When you are looking for funding, there is always a question whether someone so young can handle such a big task. This is normal. But this can also be an advantage: you stand out, and if you also demonstrate knowledge and security, you can compensate for your lack of experience,” he reflects.
And he has done exactly that. Pintado claims to have mastered the field of technology, especially in the field of web3To convince even the most skeptical investors. “You can’t compete in experience, but you can compete in knowledge. We have always tried to be the best in our field, and it shows,” he says.
Although he could have chosen any place in the world to settle, his roots are firmly planted in Sant Cugat del Vallès, where he lives and where Hello.app’s headquarters are located. “We are seven people working individually in Barcelona, but our open source model allows us to collaborate with over 50 developers around the world. China to StanfordHe explains. This worldview has not weakened his connection with his hometown, which remains a fundamental pillar for him, although he says that he “could have been born in L’Hospitalet or Santa Coloma and he would have done the same thing. “
the painted side is clear Where do you want to take your company? In five years, he envisions Hello.app Unicorn CompanyThat means a startup worth more than a billion dollars. “Our objective is clear: to stand out before the big players in the sector and be present on all devices in the world. There is no other option,” he says with determination. With such an ambitious vision, a global team and disruptive technology, Alvaro Pintado aspires to change the way the world views data storage forever.
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