Inspiration

Our journey started with a simple need: we wanted to take care of our plants, but we never really knew when it was the right time to water them, or how to help them when they weren’t doing well. Watching them slowly fade away without knowing what to do was frustrating. We wanted to change that.

What it does

That’s why we created an application that acts as a personal assistant for plant care. But it’s more than just an app — it comes with a companion: Professor Kipik, a friendly hedgehog who guides users on their botanical adventure. The app reminds us when to water and fertilize, gives tips tailored to each plant, and offers a large catalogue to explore. With it, caring for plants becomes simple and joyful, not a guessing game.

How we built it

We built the app using React Native with a local-first approach, powered by a local database. This makes it fast and reliable, even offline. Basic plant care features are free for everyone, while premium tools — like camera-based plant identification — use a secure backend service.

Challenges we ran into

Building a local-first app wasn’t easy. It meant finding ways to make it efficient, sustainable, and low-carbon while using the phone’s computing power. The server is used only when absolutely necessary, keeping costs low while protecting both privacy and the environment.

Accomplishments we’re proud of

We’re proud of the polished, seamless result. Integrating services like RevenueCat and OneSignal while keeping the app lightning fast was no small feat. One of our proudest moments was achieving truly snappy reactivity, with almost no loading screens. It’s deeply satisfying to see an app that feels alive and responsive, all thanks to our offline-first approach.

What we learned

This project taught us how to take an idea from bootstrap to completion. We turned doubts into challenges and challenges into achievements. Managing local data while balancing online features like authentication pushed us to grow. We learned a lot about client-side databases, especially SQLite, and built something we’re genuinely proud of.

What’s next for Kipik

Now, we’re ready for the next step: launching our beta. Our goal is to listen closely to our users, learn from their feedback, support plant lovers, and share the next chapter of Kipik’s adventure. Together, we can make plant care effortless, sustainable, and inspiring.

Built With

• nestjs
• react-native
• typescript