r/Startups_EU

Hey r/iOSApps community,

Quick summary of the app based on the sub rules:
* A – Answer: Solves sunscreen guesswork by calculating a dynamic UV-based protection countdown using the Monk skin scale.
* B – Better: Privacy-first (no tracking/no ads), uses a clean Bento-grid UI instead of medical fear tactics, and features an advanced non-linear degradation formula.
* C – Cost: Completely Free (no ads, no IAPs). Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/burnie-smart-uv-protection/id6770673915

***

I just flipped the switch on Burnie. I built this side project because I constantly find myself getting sunburned, and after seeing skin cancer impact my own family, I wanted to stop guessing with sun safety. I wanted to build something straightforward that provides actual scientific guidance based on live UV data.

The app checks your local UV index, maps it against your skin profile using the scientific Monk Scale, and runs a real-time protection countdown the moment you log your sunscreen application.

Behind the scenes on how the math works:
The countdown isn't just a simple, linear timer. It uses a fine-tuned calculation that assumes your sunscreen degrades dynamically over time based on actual UV exposure levels. I also built in a conservative safety margin to automatically account for natural wear and tear from clothes, sweating, or moving around.

A few intentional choices I made while building it:

* Privacy First: It is built natively on iOS 17 with SwiftData. Absolutely everything stays entirely local on your device. There is no user registration, no data collection, and no ad networks. It doesn't track your location; it merely uses your current coordinates locally to fetch the exact UV data.
* Clean UI: I deliberately avoided scary medical charts or fear-based warnings. Instead, it uses a clean Bento-grid layout with an ambient background that shows your current shield status at a quick glance.
* Smart Nudges: It sends lightweight local notifications exactly when your calculated protection layer degrades under your current local UV conditions.

The app is completely free to download. I am just trying to get the name out there right now and grab some real-world feedback from fellow builders.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the design or the countdown system!

Hey everyone,

I’m a Senior Product Designer currently based in Berlin. I was recently laid off and am now available to start immediately.

I have 5+ years of experience working on B2B2C SaaS products, with a strong focus on UX research, product thinking, and end-to-end design delivery.

Open to full-time, part-time, or freelance opportunities.

Happy to chat if anyone’s hiring or knows of relevant roles.

Thanks

any serious people here?

Interested in joining someone that has the skills and connections to get customers, ideally something big and ambitions with funding, but open to starting smaller if traction and potential is there.

me: 20y experience building complex business software mainly in EU, but a bit in AU and US too.
And by building I mean, from the initial meetings with management and designing to coding from scratch and hiring people, from running the dev and support teams to hardware specifications and deployment.

I have the ambitious project to build a portfolio of AI startups and I am looking for serious cofounder(s) with experience.

My background is primarily in managing infrastructure and cloud projects across France and Africa, with five years of experience in project coordination, delivery, and stakeholder management.

Currently building 2 solutions :

- TARA AI: hospitality intelligence and smart-stay control layer that turns guest interactions into auditable, phase-aware actions while enabling in-app control of the property across the stay.

- BiasMap: an AI-powered news platform that maps media bias, compares how different outlets cover the same story, fact-checks key claims, and reveals the perspectives missing from the news.

For now :

I’m launching NicheScout (https://nichescout.org), a tool that helps validate a market or an idea before building it.

The problem I’m trying to solve is simple: today, when you have an idea for a SaaS product, service, niche, or product, you often do the research “manually” across Google, Reddit, forums, competitors, keywords, ChatGPT, and so on. It’s time-consuming, fragmented, and in the end, you don’t always know if you have a truly actionable decision or just a hunch.

NicheScout takes a topic/market/idea and generates a structured report with:
• ⁠executive summary
• ⁠opportunity score
• ⁠risks/timing/confidence level
• ⁠competition
• ⁠pain points
• ⁠market sizing
• ⁠monetization
• ⁠target audience
• ⁠GTM strategy
• ⁠SEO
• ⁠technical blueprint
• ⁠sources appendix

The goal isn’t to create “just another chatbot,” but a tool that helps answer questions like:
• ⁠Is this market worth pursuing?
• ⁠Is it too competitive?
• ⁠Is there real demand?
• ⁠Which product angle/positioning seems most credible?
• ⁠Should I build, pivot, or abandon the idea?

I’m targeting two types of users:

1. ⁠Solo founders / freelancers / consultants who want to validate their ideas faster before wasting time or money
2. ⁠Agencies / studios / firms that could use the solution in a more structured / white-label mode to produce reports faster

Feel free to give critical feedback on it also

if you’re interested please dm me or comment

I'm an engineer in Europe who can build the whole product: batch & real-time data infrastructure at scale (billions of events a day), backends and APIs, full-stack web + mobile, and AI/ML. I've shipped across several highly regulated industries: iGaming, crypto/fintech, and the public sector. Building whatever we point at isn't the hard part for me.

What I don't have and what I'm looking for in you is the commercial half: customers, sales, distribution, a market you know cold.

I don't have a fixed idea yet, and that's on purpose. I'd rather we find a real, expensive problem together than chase the first shiny thing. Equal partners, building from zero, taking it all the way.

Not looking to grab just any cofounder - looking for the right one. If you've got the market and the hustle and want to build something big, DM me and tell me two things: the industry you know best, and a problem in it you think is worth real money.

Hey everyone,

I’m 19 and looking to connect with ambitious people aged around 19–23.

I’m interested in building something serious from scratch. I’ve been thinking about either building an app/startup with someone technical who has experience building products, or something in the agency/media space.

I’m also really interested in the idea of building a podcast/media-led business and potentially turning it into something bigger, similar in spirit to how Social Chain started — combining content, social media, community, personal brand, and services. Not looking to copy anything, just inspired by that type of model.

I’m not technical, but I can bring marketing, research, outreach, content, strategy, branding, and everything non-tech related. I’m very driven and not looking for endless idea talk — I want to actually build.

A bit about me: I’m based in Europe, ran the NYC Marathon at 18, and have some understanding of the wellness/fitness space through my own background in sport and working in a premium fitness club. I’m also looking to move to NYC or London once I figure out the right path, so I’d love to connect with people who think globally.

If you’re technical, into startups, agency/media, wellness/fitness, or looking for a co-founder/operator type person, feel free to reach out.

Hey,

Disclaimer: This is not a post about some service that will offer me in comments some credits, but a real problem that I am facing.

Thanks for help, or suggestions.

We used up our 2k Google cloud credits. I thought and the woman from Google assured me that they will increase it.
We are in CEE we are in an incubator, but after urging them 3 weeks later we got rejected increase to 25k. The reason was that the incubator was not affiliated with Google cloud startups yet.
The best AI for is Gemini by far.

We are on Azure. Azure has 5k credits, which is not enough, since the we need online search and now it is very expensive with AI. They would increase it eventually, but after 60 days of spending the 5k, or something. That is not great and very slow.

Any ideas, or expieriences, suggestions are welcomed, thanks.

Edit: Improved syntax, fixed typos.

Hi All,

I am software Engineer based in Malta.

I am looking co-founder on my start-up which is basically short video platform, reels, shorts but for education only.

https://www.spirkz.com/

Let me know if anyone is intrested, reach me out in DM or at: iviko.shengelia@spirkz.com

Looking for a Germany-based co-founder sales oriented to join an early-stage Retail Tech startup. Interested in connecting with people with experience in retail, marketplaces, hospitality, business development, or partnerships. Germany is one of the key target markets, and I’d love to meet someone interested in building something new together from the ground up.

Hi, for my Master’s course at ECV, I had to identify a real‑world problem and propose a solution. After self‑analysis and research, one issue stood out to me: second‑hand marketplaces like Kleinanzeigen offer affordability but no convenience, as does not provide delivery.

After speaking with people and conducting a survey, I discovered additional barriers, including time inflexibility, long distances, transportation limitations, and these factors often stop users from buying second‑hand items, and the risk of missing out on good deals.

To solve this, I am building a prototype where a buyer can request a human helper (no vehicle required) who will go to the seller, inspect the item, pick it up, and deliver it to the buyer’s doorstep. This also solves the problem where items sometimes look different in photos or videos compared to real life.

For now, the service will support items up to 20 kg and focus on three categories:

Household Items

Electronics

Small Furniture

These limitations help keep the service simple, safe, and easy to test in the early stage. What are your thoughts on this startup problem and solution?

I have been building a SaaS for managing shared accommodations and bedspaces.

One early decision I made was to keep the rental model very simple and only support monthly billing. In my mind most operators already think in monthly terms so it would keep the system clean and easier to use.

After speaking with early users I realised the reality is more messy. Some operators like the simplicity while others feel restricted because their current operations include different payment cycles.

Now I am trying to understand something that many founders probably face. When building for a niche industry how do you decide between keeping the product opinionated and simple or matching all the real world complexity from day one

Would be interested to hear how others approached this in their early stage

I know there’s been a lot of discussion around EU Inc lately, and I do think it’s a step in the right direction.

But is the legislative part enough to really start the engine of the European startup scene?

From my own experience, I’m not sure.

I’m building a B2B2C startup, and one thing I’ve noticed is that even if you want to expand across multiple countries — or focus on just one — Europe comes with its own challenges.

People don’t seem as willing to pay for digital products as easily as in the US, at least from what I’ve seen.

Launching in another country is also not just about language. It’s about legal aspects, local behavior, partnerships, trust, and how each market actually works.

Same with investors. I’ve met investors here, and from my experience, many focus more on current value, while the risk appetite feels smaller.

Of course, this is just my perspective, and maybe others have different experiences.

So I’m curious: do you think EU Inc is enough, or do we also need a bigger shift in mindset, market behavior, and risk appetite in Europe?