Posted by Robbie McLachlan – Developer Marketing

In our latest #WeArePlay stories, we meet the founders building apps and games that power entrepreneurs and business owners around the world. From digitizing finances for micro-merchants in Bogotá to modernizing barbershops in New York, they are solving real-world challenges with intuitive apps.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Lluís and Man Hei’s app Treinta saves microbusiness owners 30 minutes a day by digitizing their sales, inventory, and cash flow.

Lluís Cañadell and Man Hei Lou, co-founders of Treinta
Bogotá, Colombia

After meeting at university, Lluís and Man Hei reunited to launch Treinta, an app inspired by Lluís’ experience with small businesses across Latin America. Named after the Spanish word for ’30,’ it helps microbusiness owners save at least 30 minutes a day by digitizing tasks like inventory, sales tracking, and cash flow management. With a recent expansion into the U.S. and upcoming AI tools, they are on track to reach their goal of 100,000 premium members by 2026.

Ying, Yong, Steve, and Oswald’s app Glints uses AI-powered recommendations to make hiring talent quick and easy.

Seah, Yong, Steve, and Oswald, co-founders of Glints
Singapore, Singapore

High school friends Ying, Yong, Steve, and Oswald bonded over a shared vision to use technology for good, which led them to create Glints. What began as an internship portal in Singapore evolved into a dynamic hiring app after they saw an opportunity to tackle underemployment among young people in Indonesia. The app streamlines the job search with AI-powered recommendations and direct chat features, creating new career opportunities and helping companies find top talent. Their goal is to expand into more cities and become Indonesia’s leading career app.

Dave and Songe’s app SQUIRE helps barbers manage and grow their business with an all-in-one platform.

Dave and Songe, co-founders of SQUIRE
New York, USA

Former lawyer Songe and finance expert Dave saw an opportunity to modernize the cash-reliant barbershop industry. With no prior experience, they took over a struggling Manhattan barbershop while developing SQUIRE. The app, which initially focused on appointment scheduling and digital payments, has since evolved into a complete management platform with Point of Sale, inventory tracking, and analytics — helping barbers run their businesses more efficiently. Now, they’re adding more customization options and plan to expand SQUIRE’s capabilities to continue elevating the modern barbershop experience.

Discover other inspiring app and game founders featured in #WeArePlay.

Posted by Robbie McLachlan – Developer Marketing

In our latest #WeArePlay film, which celebrates the people behind apps and games on Google Play, we meet Hugo, the founder of Maliyo Games. He is on a mission to put African stories and talent on the global gaming map by creating vibrant games inspired by local life and culture. Discover how he is building not just games, but an entire ecosystem for game development on the continent.

You went from a career in finance to becoming a pioneer in Africa’s games industry. What inspired that leap?

I’ve always had a passion for economics and business, but after some years in finance, I wanted to move back to Nigeria and help build something new. I noticed a problem on our continent: we were huge consumers of digital content but not creators. Seeing the passion for our local music and film, I knew we could bring that same energy to gaming. My mission became clear: to shift us from being ‘net consumers’ to ‘net creators,’ using games as a medium to take our unique stories and culture to the world.

Your games are bursting with African culture. Why is it so important to you to tell these specific stories?

Because these are our stories to tell! I think of us as storytellers first, and games are our medium. We create games based on shared experiences from our childhoods, we feature things everyone can relate to like our love for property development and redesign in Safari City.

When people in Africa play our games, the reaction is pure joy and surprise. They say, “I can’t believe you guys built this!” because they see themselves and their lives reflected. It’s not just about enjoyment; it’s about a deeper, emotional connection.

Building a game studio where there was no established industry must have been tough. How did you tackle the challenge of finding and nurturing talent on the continent?

It was definitely hard. When we started in 2012, the biggest challenge wasn’t just finding skills, but finding the right mindset; so we started GameUp Africa, a free, pan-African training program. It was a longer road, for sure, but it has transformed everything. Today, 90% of our team came through that program. We’re now a team of about 30 people from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and more. Seeing these young, brilliant creators, some as young as 17, building their careers with us is the most satisfying part of what I do.

How has Google Play helped you achieve global reach from your base in Lagos?

For us, Google Play was a no-brainer. Africa is primarily an Android market, so it’s our primary distribution platform to reach our audience here and in the diaspora. But it’s more than just a storefront; it’s the entire infrastructure. We use the full suite of tools: Firebase’s analytics give us incredible insights into player behaviour, Google AdMob helps us monetize, and the testing tools let us experiment with new features. Google Play makes it possible for a studio in Lagos to build, scale, and operate as a truly global company without having to build that foundation ourselves.

What is next for Maliyo Games?

Now, our sights are set on growth. The next big goal is to get one of our games to one million monthly active users, as we build towards our long-term ambition of reaching an engaged community of 500 million by 2030.

Discover other inspiring app and game founders featured in #WeArePlay.

Posted by Robbie McLachlan, Developer Marketing

How do you tackle the planet’s biggest sustainability and environmental challenges? For 10 new founders we’re spotlighting in #WeArePlay, it starts with coding. Their apps and games are helping to build a healthier planet by developing career paths for aspiring environmentalists, preserving indigenous knowledge, and turning nature education into an adventure for all.

Here are a few of our favourites:

Ariane, Flávia, Andréia, and Mayla’s game BoRa turns a simple park visit into an immersive, gamified adventure.

Ariane, Flávia, Andréia, and Mayla, co-founders of Fubá Educação AmbientalSão Carlos, Brazil

Passionate about nature, co-founders Mayla, Flávia, Andréia, and Ariane met while researching environmental education. They wanted to foster more meaningful connections between people and Brazil’s national parks. Their app, BoRa – Iguaçu National Park, transforms a visit into an immersive experience using interactive storytelling, gamified trails, and accessibility features like sign language, helping everyone connect more deeply with the natural world.

Louis and Justin’s app, CyberTracker, turns the ancient knowledge of indigenous trackers into vital scientific data for modern conservation.

Louis, co-founder of CyberTracker ConservationCape Town, South Africa

Louis knew that animal tracking was a science, but the expert knowledge of many indigenous trackers couldn’t be recorded because they were unable to read or write. He partnered with Justin to create CyberTracker to solve this. Their app uses a simple icon-based interface, enabling non-literate trackers to record vital biodiversity data. This innovation preserves invaluable knowledge and supports conservation efforts worldwide.

Bharati and Saurabh’s app, Earth5R, turns a passion for the planet into real-world experience and careers in the green economy.

Bharati and Saurabh, co-founders of Earth5R Environmental ServicesMumbai, India

After a life-changing cycling trip around the world, Saurabh was inspired by sustainable practices he saw in different communities. He and his wife, Bharati, brought those lessons home to Mumbai and launched Earth5R. Their app provides environmental education and career development, connecting people to internships and hands-on projects. By providing the skills and experience needed for the green economy, they’re building the next generation of environmental leaders.

Discover more #WeArePlay stories from founders across the globe.

Posted by Robbie McLachlan, Developer Marketing

They saw a problem and built the answer. Meet 20 #WeArePlay founders from across the U.S. who started their entrepreneurial journey with a question like: what if reading was no longer a barrier for anyone? What if an app could connect neighbors to fight local hunger? What if fitness or self-care could feel as engaging as playing a game?

These new stories showcase how innovation often starts with finding the answer to a personal problem. Here are just a few of our favorites:

Cliff’s app Speechify makes the written word accessible to all

Cliff, founder of SpeechifyMiami, Florida

Growing up with dyslexia, Cliff always wished he could enjoy books but found reading them challenging. After moving to the U.S., the then college student turned that personal challenge into a solution for millions. His app, Speechify, empowers people by turning any text—from PDFs to web pages—into audio. By making the written word accessible to all, Cliff’s innovation gives students, professionals, and auditory learners a new kind of independence.

Jenny’s game Run Legends turns everyday fitness into a social adventure

Jenny, founder of Talofa Games San Francisco, California

As a teen, Jenny funded her computer science studies by teaching herself to code and publishing over 100 games. A passionate cross-country runner, she wanted to combine her love for gaming and fitness to make exercise feel more like an adventure. The result is Run Legends, a multiplayer RPG where players battle monsters by moving in real life. Jenny’s on a mission to blend all types of exercise with playful storytelling, turning everyday fitness into a fun, social, and heroic quest.

Nino and Stephanie’s app Finch makes self-care a rewarding daily habit

Nino and Stephanie, co-founders of FinchSanta Clara, California

As engineers, Nino and Stephanie knew the power of technology but found the world of self-care apps overwhelming. Inspired by their own mental health journeys and a gamified app Stephanie built in college, they created Finch. The app introduces a fresh take on the virtual pet: by completing small, positive actions for yourself, like journaling or practicing breathing exercises, you care for your digital companion. With over 10 million downloads, Finch has helped people around the world build healthier habits. With seasonal events every month and growing personalization, the app continues to evolve to make self-care more fun and rewarding.

John’s app The HungreeApp connects communities to fight hunger

John, founder of The HungreeAppDenver, Colorado

John began coding as a nine-year-old in Nigeria, sometimes with just a pen and paper. After moving to the U.S., he was struck by how much food from events was wasted while people nearby went hungry. That spark led him to create The HungreeApp, a platform that connects communities with free, surplus food from businesses and restaurants. John’s ingenuity turns waste into opportunity, creating a more connected and resourceful nation, one meal at a time.

Anthony’s game studio Tech Tree Games turns a passion for idle games into cosmic adventures for aspiring tycoons

Anthony, founder of Tech Tree GamesAustin, Texas

While working as a chemical engineer, Anthony dreamed of creating an idle game like the ones he loved to play, leading him to teach himself how to code from scratch. This passion project turned into his studio Tech Tree Games and the hit title Idle Planet Miner, where players grow a space mining empire filled with mystical planets and alluring gems. After releasing a 2.0 update with enhanced visuals for the game, Anthony is back in prototyping mode with new titles in the pipeline.

Discover more #WeArePlay stories from the US and stories from across the globe.

Posted by Robbie McLachlan – Developer Marketing

In our latest #WeArePlay film, which celebrates the people behind apps and games on Google Play, we meet Bill and Silver – the duo behind Amanotes. Their game company has reached over 3 billion downloads with their mission ‘everyone can music’. Their titles, including the global hit Magic Tiles 3, turn playing musical instruments into a fun, easy, and interactive experience, with no musical background needed. Discover how Amanotes blends creativity and technology to bring joy and connection to billions of players around the world.

What inspired you to create Amanotes?

Bill: It all began with a question I’d pursued for over 20 years – how can technology make music even more beautiful? I grew up in a musical family, surrounded by instruments, but I also loved building things with tech. Amanotes became the space where I could bring those two passions together.

Silver: Honestly, I wasn’t planning to start a company. I had just finished studying entrepreneurship and was looking to join a startup, not launch one. I dropped a message in an online group saying I wanted to find a team to work with, and Bill reached out. We met for coffee, talked for about an hour, and by the end, we just said, why not give it a shot? That one meeting turned into ten years of building Amanotes.

Do you remember the first time you realized your game was more than just a game and that it could change someone’s life?

Silver: There’s one moment I’ll never forget. A woman in the U.S. left a review saying she used to be a pianist, but after an accident, she lost use of some of her fingers and couldn’t play anymore. Then she found Magic Tiles. She said the game gave her that feeling of playing again—even without full movement. That’s when it hit me. We weren’t just building a game. We were helping people reconnect with something they thought they’d lost.

How has Google Play helped your journey?

Silver: Google Play has been a huge part of our story. It was actually the first platform we ever published on. The audience was global from day one, which gave us the reach we needed to grow fast. We made great use of tools such as Firebase for A/B testing. We also relied on the Play Console for analytics and set custom pricing by country. Without Google Play, Amanotes wouldn’t be where it is today.

What’s next for Amanotes?

Silver: Music will always be the soul of what we do, but now we’re building games with more depth. We want to go beyond just tapping to songs. We’re adding stories, challenges, and richer gameplay on top of the music. We’ve got a whole lineup of new games in the works. Each one is a chance to push the boundaries of what music games can be.

Discover other inspiring app and game founders featured in #WeArePlay.