In 2012, the grandmother of a young student was in urgent need of a blood transfer. The family searched for help through the internet and the patient underwent safe surgery. The emergency urged the student to come up with the idea of creating blood-e, an application for mobile devices for blood sharing.

The person in need reaches out to a network of volunteers, based on blood type, proximity to the clinic and time lapsed since the volunteer’s last blood donation. The volunteers participate through the use of game mechanics and gamification methods.

Less than one year old, Blood-e has 450 registered volunteers, 55 blood units which is enough to save 165 lives, and a 10,000€ grant from the Angelopoulos - Clinton GIU Fellowship to continue its work. Moreover, the platform was a finalist at the 2014 International Social Impact Awards. Natalia Kritsali, the student behind the idea says that what makes Blood-e special is that it uses ‘real-time’ technology, making blood-sharing even more effective. "I think the most important is to have a vision and of course people willing to share it with you," Natalia concludes.

See also: Impact Hub Athens