Upnup

Automated micro investment in Bitcoin

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Client

Upnup
Industry
Banking

Services

UX design, Product management, Mobile, Backend, Integration, Frontend
We helped UBU International to align their business model for a post-pandemic market and designed its new product and solution strategy. We also built a micro-savings app that automates saving and sat stacking using Bitcoin as an initial investment option.

The Situation

When UBU International decided to re-evaluate their business model and realign it for a post-Covid-19 market, Adriaan Odendaal, Group Management Consultant of Alphawave, knew that we would be the right fit to help UBU realise their app development goals: Developing a unique micro-savings app for the South African market that can eventually be introduced to the international market.

The app, Upnup, is the first fintech platform in South Africa that allows its users to accumulate funds through an add-up or roundup feature. Upnup’s goal is to promote a culture shift from debt to savings to micro-investing. Pre-Covid-19, their focus was predominantly on the restaurant industry. But, the Covid-19 pandemic brought into sharp focus the fact that they needed to pivot their business model to one that is sustainable during and also after the pandemic.

The Objectives

UBU had a clear vision of their new venture, and we were brought on board to:

  • Design its new product and solution strategy.

  • Build a micro-savings app that aims to encourage and create a habitual savings and investment culture.

  • By using the app, turn spending habits into saving habits into investment habits.

  • Ensure frictionless saving and sat stacking automation using Bitcoin as an initial investment option.

The Solution

To compile a concept design for the project, we had to consider the 4 main quadrants: ideation, creating a prototype, validation, and refining results. We held some brainstorming session with UBU where the project was taken from the initial brief and turned into a workable strategy that emphasised finding the right solution. During these collaborative sessions, UBU had access to the expertise of the entire Polymorph team, including UX specialists, business analysts, software developers and more.

During the 4 phases, we made sure always to circle back to the true north when iterating on the prototype and, crucially, to learn from user feedback and reactions. It was also necessary to prove the initial hypothesis to ensure that we build the right solution for the user. To do this, we asked questions such as “how can I verify that this is a good prospect to spend money, time and resources on”.

Thereafter, we sat with upnup to comb through the results and identify areas where work was still required. Finally, sufficient time was set aside to refine the results in anticipation of testing the product in the market to see if it was a good fit.

These 4 phases culminated in a concept design report containing:
1. Recommendations
2. Technical considerations
3. Financial implications
4. Project roadmap.

The Results

We outlined upnup’s entire project strategy, including UX design, product features, value proposition, determining underserved needs and validating target customers. This was all done while also ensuring that the risks associated with app value, usability, business viability and technical feasibility were mitigated in the process. Crucially, as part of the app integration, software architecture must be put in place that can scale rapidly, is secure and can be managed on time.

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL

“Polymorph was the best choice we could have made for our mobile app development. The Polymorph team displayed an impressive willingness to gain a deeper understanding of our business, and it was clear that they are experts at what they do, particularly around mobile and progressive web applications. They understood our vision and could provide insightful guidance while developing and executing our mobile app. The Polymorph team is professional, communicative, and always responsive and complied with the agreed-upon timeline, budget, and app specifications”, says
Tony Mallam
Managing Director at UBU International

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