Last summer #WeArePlay went on a virtual tour of the U.S. to spotlight the stories of app and game founders from every state, and earlier this year we visited India sharing stories from across the country. Today, we’re continuing our tour across the world with our next stop: Europe. From an app increasing independence for the elderly to a game for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, meet the founders of 126 apps and games companies building growing businesses on Google Play.

Let’s take a quick road trip across the region, with stories of founders that were inspired to create their company to help others around them.

Geert, cofounder of Cubigo

Increasing independence for elderly people

First up is Geert from Belgium, who is the founder of Cubigo. When Geert’s grandmother moved into a nursing home, managing her care felt overwhelming so he used his experience from working in tech to create his app. It’s aimed at elderly people - they can use it to book taxis, days out, order food, schedule appointments and message friends. Family and nursing staff can also stay updated with their plans and activities, so they can provide better assistance. His aim is to give elderly people independence, and Geert hopes Cubigo will become a global player in senior care. Read more stories from Belgium.

Zafer and Sercan, co-founders of Otsimo

Games designed for children with neurodevelopmental disorders

Next up are friends and co-founders Zafer and Sercan from Turkey, who co-founded gaming company Otsimo. As a teen, Zafer got inspiration to create mobile tools for kids with learning difficulties by seeing his autistic brother enjoy playing on his phone. Fast forward to his college years, Zafer and his course mate Sercan made a series of apps aimed at children with delayed speech and developmental disorders. The first, created alongside special needs experts, was Otsimo | Special Education which can be tailored to the individual's requirements. Their apps use voice recognition and machine learning to help children improve their speech, cognitive and social skills, with rewards and stickers to keep it fun. The Otsimo team have just launched a fully customizable Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) app for non-verbal people of all ages. Read more stories from Turkey.

Maxence and Oxana, co-founders of Appsent

Making home management and cleaning easier for everyone

Last but not least, we have Maxence and Oxana from France, co-founders of Appsent. Maxence and Oxana struggled to keep their house clean when they were both working from home. Sweepy is their solution – it’s a smart home cleaning schedule that assigns household tasks on particular days and for particular people. The couple are really proud that their app has been downloaded by lots of people with autism and ADHD, who tell them that it helps them to manage their homes. They are now developing a points and rewards feature, to try to encourage children to get involved in the housework too. Read more stories from France.

Discover more #WeArePlay stories from Europe, and stories from across the globe.