Graduates create mobile app

The idea was born in the midst of the pandemic when bicycle sales skyrocketed and the market couldn't respond efficiently. "That's when Sebastián López, Wendy Carolina Rengifo, and I realized there was an opportunity to develop an app, which we called Pedaleando," explains Jonathan Forero, an Industrial Engineering graduate.

With this app, users will be able to perform various types of inquiries. “For example, buying and selling products, finding nearby repair shops, searching for and contacting suppliers, advertising products, and in the near future, generating bicycle ownership certificates in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Bogotá,” says Jonathan.

The road hasn't been easy, as they've had to go through a whole series of phases. "The first consisted of validation, which involves having a user account for the application and all the maintenance. The second was the development of an online store that would allow them to sell sporting goods.".

And as the saying goes, without social media there's no business. "Now we're working on that, because we've joined a program from the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce called 'Go to Market' where we'll learn to improve in that area.".

But you'd think that developing an app is cheap; after all, all you see is a small, multicolored icon. But that's not the case. "The cost of this amounts to 35 million, not including maintenance.".

However, the resourcefulness and ingenuity with which these young entrepreneurs secured the funding to invest in the business has been a remarkable feat. They recently participated in an Amazon competition for entrepreneurs. “We won and received a $10,000 bonus to host and manage our data in the cloud for two years, which is a huge advantage, since if we continued using our own computers, the risk of data loss would remain.”.

Now comes the third phase of this journey, which, like the Tour de France, unfolds stage by stage, bringing them closer to the final goal. “We now need a Mac computer for testing the application on Apple iOS, and that computer costs 8 million pesos. We are looking at how to overcome that obstacle,” Jonathan pointed out.

However, the idea is already a reality through Mercado Libre. “With them, the only requirement is having a domain, which is our website, and we already have it for now. We've also developed a prototype that's currently being tested, and we expect to finish the third phase next year.”.

Now they're looking for what they call an angel investor to give them the final financial boost. "Yes, we're considering that option," he concludes confidently.

These types of initiatives by UCundinamarca graduates are configured as relevant actions of hope for the development of the department and the territories.

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