Flivio

Overview

Flivio is a sharing marketplace where people and organisations give away phones, laptops, home appliances and other pre-loved items for free. Anyone who needs an item sends the owner a ping explaining why they need it and what it will change for them. The owner reads the pings and decides who receives it. We designed and built Flivio for iOS and Android, with an admin portal to run the community and the flivio.co website.

The challenge

Most homes have a working blender, an old phone or a spare laptop sitting unused. The owner would happily give it away. Someone a few streets away needs exactly that item. The two never meet.

Selling isn't worth the stress. Listing a used item means haggling, chasing buyers and no-shows, all for a small sum. So the item stays in a drawer.

Giving away publicly turns into chaos. Post "free fridge" on WhatsApp status or Facebook and you get fifty "me!" replies. The fastest typer wins, not the person who needs it most.

Givers have no way to choose well. They want their item to make a real difference, but they can't see who is genuinely in need.

Asking for help feels awkward. People in need often won't ask in public, and there was no respectful place to make a case.

Organisations lack a channel. Brands and institutions with surplus stock had no simple way to give items directly to people who would use them.

Flivio's founders wanted a giving platform built on intention, not speed: one that made giving easy, asking dignified, and every item count.

Our approach

1. We built the whole product around the ping. Instead of a "first come" comments thread, receivers send a ping: a short note to the owner on why they need the item and how it will help. Pings are limited and topped up with a payment, so people request what they truly need rather than everything they see.

2. We put the giver in control. Owners see every ping on their item side by side, read each story, and release the item to the person they choose. No pressure, no public bidding, no guessing.

3. We made listing an item take a minute. Snap photos, pick a category, describe the condition, post. The home feed makes free items easy to browse and discover.

4. We kept every conversation in the app. Once an owner picks a receiver, both sides chat in the app to arrange the handover, without sharing phone numbers upfront.

5. We opened the door to organisations. Institutions and brands can list new or surplus products and distribute them directly to users, taking Flivio from person to person sharing to giving at scale.

6. We gave the team a control room. The admin portal lets Flivio moderate listings and users, manage pings and keep the community safe.

The outcome

Flivio launched on both the App Store and Google Play in August 2026, with its first update shipped a month later.

Giving with purpose. Every item now goes to someone who explained why they need it, not just whoever replied first.

Dignity for receivers. People make their case privately to the owner, not in a public comment thread.

Less waste, more value. Phones, laptops and appliances that would have gathered dust are back in use.

A model that sustains itself. Ping top-ups give Flivio a revenue line that also keeps requests intentional.

Built to grow. Organisations can now run giveaways on the same platform, opening partnerships with brands and institutions.

Key features delivered

• Free item listings with photos, category and condition

• Home feed to browse and discover free items

• Pings: request an item with a personal note on why you need it

• Limited pings with paid in-app top-ups

• Owner view of all pings per item, with one-tap release

• In-app chat to arrange handover

• Organisation and brand accounts for giving at scale

• User profiles

• Admin portal for moderation and community management

• Flivio.co website with app store links

• Native iOS and Android apps

Frequently asked questions

Who built Flivio? Flivio was built by Soft-Web Digital, a Lagos based software development and automation company, for Flivio Technologies Limited. Soft-Web Digital handled product strategy, design, mobile and backend development, the website, and the app store launch.

How does Flivio work? People list items they no longer need for free. Anyone who needs an item sends the owner a ping explaining why, and the owner chooses who receives it.

Can Soft-Web Digital build a marketplace app for my idea? Yes. Soft-Web Digital builds peer to peer marketplaces, donation platforms and community apps for iOS, Android and web, with admin portals to run them. Request a quote or book a free strategy session at softwebdigital.com.

How do giveaway and donation apps make money? Common models include paid request credits, sponsored listings from brands, and partnerships with organisations. Flivio uses paid ping top-ups, which also keep requests thoughtful.

How long does it take to build a marketplace app in Nigeria? It depends on scope. A focused marketplace with listings, requests, chat and an admin portal can launch in a few months. Soft-Web Digital shares a timeline after a short discovery call.

Got a marketplace or community idea that needs a smart core mechanic like the ping? We'll help you design it and build it right. Request a Quote or book a Free Strategy Session and let's talk.