The business gala 100 Degrees Karlstad was cancelled. Instead, Stepler was surprised by Johan Östling and Björn Ling, who presented the award together with Lina Svensberg from Compare.

In less than a year, Stepler has gone from being a small service with only a few thousand users, to a real people app. According to the founders Semir Hadiahmetagic and Niklas Frisk, they now have a couple of hundred thousand users.

This does not mean that one has reached the goal by a long way.

- We have said that when we have a million users, we really get to save the date, but at the same time it is only a partial goal, says Niklas Frisk.

- The growth we have in users is quite unique. What is usually talked about is attention, a bit like a wallet where you have room for a certain number of cards. Anyone can have an app idea, but it takes a lot to get people to download, use and keep an app, says Semir Hadiahmetagic.

Exclusivity important

The deal for Stepler's users is basically simple: Every step you take earns points in the app, and in addition to everyday exercise, it also provides offers on various goods, services and experiences.

The influx and requests from new business partners have of course not been affected by the strong user numbers.

- We are told that we are the best conversion channel. What is important if we take in an offer is that it should be exclusive to the Stepler app, the user has still fought to be part of it, says Niklas Frisk.

- And what's fun for our partners is that our users are loyal, because you give something to get, says Semir Hadiahmetagic.

In addition to the exclusivity, there is also a constant ethical discussion about which offers are suitable for Stepler.

- We want to stand for good stuff and try to avoid products that are in the gray area. Stepler is a health app. There is also an environmental aspect in everyday exercise that we will highlight even more later, says Semir Hadiahmetagic.

Contributes to public health

They are quite convinced that their service actually affects public health. According to the company's own data, a Stepler user takes an average of between 1,000 and 1,500 more steps per day than the average Swede. In total, it is currently about one billion steps per day!

- So we see that Stepler has an effect, and it's very fun, says Semir Hadiahmetagic.

In the beginning, the users were mostly younger women, but with all the exposure, the user base has also broadened considerably. In a recent major update, several new features have also been added, which may contribute to further growth. Among other things, login via Facebook, new functions to be able to collect more points and the possibility to see your historical data.

- We are actually preparing for a foreign launch - the goal is to become a global health app! We think we have made a clear analysis of what is required, and now we feel ready, says Niklas Frisk.

Happy prize winners

Of course, Stepler is proud to be able to claim the title "Digital welfare innovation of the year". So far, they have been "cold handed" when seeking prices and that many "experts" were initially skeptical of the concept.

- Now we've convinced everyone that it actually works, but it's still fun when someone shows that they believe in one. This award is actually the first we have won, says Niklas Frisk.

The support from DigitalWell Innovationssupport has also meant a lot, they think:

- I think that as entrepreneurs we have an idea of what we want and have to do, but getting support around it is always important, says Niklas Frisk.

- The initiative is very important for the startup environment in Värmland. That there are people who understand this type of product. Lina Svensberg (who runs Innovationssupporten) has really been fantastic! says Semir Hadiahmetagic.

Read more about the DigitalWell project here