PHOLUFor the moments that matter.Invest in private memory preservation for families
Pholu is building a private, encrypted memory vault for couples and families who live across distances, and for the legacy they want to leave behind. Encrypted before anything leaves the handset, offline-first, and built for people who refuse to trade intimacy for convenience.
The deck is confidential and sent on request. Tell us who you are and we will send it over.
The Opportunity
304 million people live as international migrants. Cross-border couples and diaspora families scatter their most precious memories across WhatsApp chats, iCloud libraries, and WeChat moments, none of which are built for lasting, private, shared timelines.
Memories Scattered
Mainstream cloud photo services are optimized for advertising, not preservation. No relationship context, no shared spaces, no real encryption.
The Privacy Gap
84% of consumers are concerned about how GenAI uses their data (Cisco 2024). Pholu encrypts memories on-device before sync, AI never trains on private content.
The Wedge
Long-distance couples, diaspora families, and international students need private shared spaces, not another photo grid. Pholu starts where founder insight is deepest: UK-China distance relationships.
A working product built by one founder, honest about what's done and what's next
We don't just build mockups; we build operational utilities. Pholu is live on Google Play with robust local performance.
- Context-scoped AI assistant (never trains on private memories)
- React Native + Expo cross-platform app with offline-first SQLite
- Active daily use by founder, opening a 50-150 person closed beta through the Pholu group
Key Milestones
Software + Hardware Ecosystem
Pholu pairs an encrypted mobile app with an optional physical security key for hardware-backed vault protection.
1. The Pholu App
A warm, fast memory app built on React Native + Expo. Offline-first with SQLite, encrypted sync via Supabase, and a private AI assistant scoped to the memories you ask about.
2. Pholu Key (Coming Soon)
A physical NFC/BLE security device (nRF52840). Vault memories encrypted with the Key cannot be accessed without it physically present. Pilot batch target: 100-500 units. Estimated BOM: $9-15 per unit.
Indicative Use of Funds
Product & Engineering
First engineering hire, app stability, payments, analytics, security audit.
Hardware Prototype
Dev kit validation, PCB prototype, FCC/CE certification planning. No mass production until demand proven.
Growth & Beta
Closed beta recruitment (50-150 users), founder-led content, referral loop, landing page.
Security & Ops
RLS audit, encryption code review, threat model, privacy policy aligned to architecture.
Direct Founder Contact
Pholu is bootstrapped and independent. Looking for angels who understand privacy, consumer hardware, or relationship/family tech. Not raising institutional capital until beta metrics prove retention.
Ricardo Costa
Solo Founder & CEO
support@pholu.app
Send a secure inquiry
Investor FAQ
Why UK-China first?
Ricardo's personal insight, a UK-China long-distance relationship, gives authentic founder-market fit. 149,885 Chinese students in UK universities (2023/24) plus diaspora families form the initial wedge. Founder-led bilingual content on Rednote/Xiaohongshu and Instagram.
Why raise now?
The app works. The next step is proving retention with real users (closed beta), then validating hardware demand. A small angel/pre-seed round ($150k-400k) would fund: security audit, hardware prototype/certification, and the first engineering hire.
What about the Pholu Key hardware?
The Key firmware is written (nRF52840 reference implementation). Next steps: order dev kit, contract a hardware engineer for PCB design, then a 100-500 unit pilot batch. No mass manufacturing until preorder demand is validated.
Pholu is out
Free on Google Play. The Google Group is still where release notes land and where you can reach us directly.
