The child still wears diapers but has long since learned how to swipe and scroll on a cell phone – not uncommon in the digital age. Parents learn early on that education does not end with the analogue world. Yesterday’s LEGO tractor is now controlled by a LEGO app. When children get their first cell phone (on average, at the age of eight), the question arises:

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How can I accompany and  protect my children in the digital sphere?

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Christian Orgler and his two Ohana co-founders Stephan Brunner and Kevin Snajda know each other from their time at Runtastic. Orgler was part of the team for more than seven years, participated in all app relaunches, and witnessed the power that can be unleashed when you trust in your employees and give them responsibility. From one of the youngest employees, he rose to Vice President of Product Engineering. Then it was time to start something of his own.

The idea came about quite pragmatically during brainstorming. Brunner understood the challenges of parenting as father to two children, so they approached the topic of child safety. The product was launched in mid-2022. The Ohana app is installed on the cell phones of parents and children and allows them, among other things, to regulate screen time, create routines or schedules, and check locations. The child is always granted a certain right of co-determination or privacy.

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Anyone who has children understands the problem.

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If both parents and children understand which rules make sense and why, the potential for conflict that often accompanies discussions about cell phone use is reduced. This would not be possible with a tool that solely makes bans technically feasible. In contrast to other providers on the market, Ohana therefore considers the educational aspect holistically, offers parents active support, and is easy to use. Content filters, screen time, and recommendations automatically adapt to a child’s age. A blog provides information on current topics. In the best case, the trust between parents and child also benefits from use of the app. TikTok’s “Bold Glamour” filter recently showed that the internet is constantly posing new questions for digital education. Providing children with rules and guiding them as a reflective authority on the internet will become even more important in the future. Orgler is certain that many topics are just beginning to reach the general public. Ohana intends to contribute in sensitizing parents in this area. Because the founders agreed on one thing from the beginning:

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A hype startup with endless growth is not what drives them.

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As software with social impact, Ohana should make sense, and generate revenue. In concrete terms, this means that Ohana offers real added value, so that parents are willing to pay for it. The development is already going in the right direction, which has also convinced investors. With Calm/Storm in the lead, the most recent financing round closed with seven figures. Anyone who has children understands the problem.

And what’s next? The Ohana team is already thinking about how the app can be used for games consoles and PCs, in addition to smartphones. Being able to offer the time limit across platforms would be a helpful service, says Orgler.

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Why argue with each new device when the rules can be set,  explained, and agreed upon together?

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