Project History¶
What is this?
The decade-long journey from a TNO research project to ONLIFE—and how it birthed the Smartup model itself. This is our collective memory of how we got here.
The Evolution: From Apps to Emergency Infrastructure¶
Phase 1: The Origin - Transient Apps (2016-2017)¶
Our story begins with a research collaboration between TNO (Dutch research organization) and RS New Media Concepts. The problem: smartphone users drowning in app choices. The solution: "Transient Apps"—lightweight applications that appear when needed, disappear when not.
What we built:
- The Context Engine: An algorithm predicting user needs based on physical location
- Automatic delivery of relevant web apps
- Working prototype proving the concept
What stopped us:
Platform gatekeepers (Google, Apple) would never allow it. They were already building their own versions (Instant Apps, Progressive Web Apps). We hit a dead end.
Phase 1 Outcome
Research validated but path blocked by platform control:
- Context-aware app delivery proven
- User need confirmed
- Technical feasibility demonstrated
- Platform dependency identified
Phase 2: The First Pivot - "Onlive" Social Networks (2017-2019)¶
Rather than abandon the Context Engine, we pivoted. If we couldn't change how apps work, could we change how people connect?
The ethical awakening:
As Facebook's scandals mounted, we faced a choice: build another data-harvesting social network or find a different path. We chose differently. Instead of connecting individuals online, we'd connect groups of people in their immediate physical world.
"Onlive: the social network for the real world"
- Context Engine repurposed to identify relevant groups
- Seven Dutch business partners provided feedback
- UX and architecture developed
The revelation:
We weren't building an app. We were building an Operating System for group interaction in the real world.
Phase 2 Outcome
Proof of Concept delivered:
- Android prototype functional
- Backend architecture designed
- UX patterns established
- Business validation complete
Phase 3: The Governance Pivot - Birth of the Smartup Model (2019-2020)¶
With research complete, the logical next step was forming a traditional startup. But was it the right step?
The dilemma:
- Public-good technology
- Complex social mission
- Poor fit for VC model
The insight:
"How we create is as important as what we create."
The organizational structure itself needed to embody our values: open, democratic, mission-driven.
The Smartup Model emerges:
We began designing a new type of organization based on:
- Collective ownership
- Democratic governance
- Scientific rigor
- SDG alignment
Phase 3 Outcome
New organizational model conceptualized:
- Smartup governance structure defined
- Economic model designed
- Democratic principles embedded
- Blueprint for future documented
Phase 4: The COVID Pivot & Academic Validation (2020-2022)¶
The pandemic provided an urgent, real-world test case. Could Onlive enable "Digital Herd Immunity" through group-tracing rather than individual contact-tracing?
Academic collaboration with Erasmus Programme:
- Security challenges addressed
- UX refined for crisis scenarios
- Concept validation in pandemic context
- Technical feasibility confirmed
The world suddenly understood why decentralized, resilient communication matters.
Phase 4 Outcome
Academic validation achieved:
- UX patterns for crisis communication
- Security model validated
- User research completed
- Emergency use cases confirmed
Phase 5: Technical Deep Dive - Mesh Networking (2023-2024)¶
To truly work without internet, we needed to go deeper into the networking layer.
Partnership with HanzeHogeschool:
- Open-source mesh network implementation
- Smartphone-native protocols
- Beyond proof-of-concept to production-ready
- Ad-hoc network formation without infrastructure
We weren't just building an app anymore. We were building alternative internet infrastructure.
Phase 5 Outcome
Mesh protocol designed and tested:
- 75+ node networks achieved
- Android implementation working
- Bluetooth/WiFi Direct integration
- Open source architecture defined
Phase 6: The Final Pivot - ONLIFE Emergency Network (2025-Present)¶
Ten years of pivots, research, and refinement crystallized into a clear mission.
From ONLIVE to ONLIFE:
Not just "online live"—but a network for LIFE itself. When everything else fails, ONLIFE remains.
The focus sharpens:
- Emergency communication for citizens
- Works without internet or telecoms
- Mesh network using existing smartphones
- European civil resilience infrastructure
Phase 6 Outcome
The experiment begins:
- Smartup Zero launched
- Community forming
- Development starting
- Everything transparent
As an owner, you get access to all code, documentation, and decisions in real-time.
Why the Name Change
"ONLIVE was about being online in live settings. ONLIFE is about staying connected when life itself is at stake. It's not just a network—it's a lifeline."
The Dual Innovation¶
What makes our history unique is that we didn't just develop technology—we developed a new way to develop technology:
- ONLIFE: The emergency communication protocol
- Smartup Model: The organizational form to build it
Both innovations emerged from the same insight: existing systems—technical and organizational—aren't fit for planetary challenges.
From Research to Reality
- 10 years of research
- Multiple pivots based on ethical considerations
- Academic validation
- Technical proof of concept
- Organizational innovation
- Now: Building it together as Smartup Zero
Key Partners Along the Journey¶
- TNO: Original research partner (2016-2017)
- RS New Media Concepts: Initial development
- Seven Dutch businesses: Early feedback partners
- Erasmus Programme: COVID-era validation
- HanzeHogeschool: Mesh networking research
- You: The next chapter begins with collective ownership
Ready to Contribute?¶
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