Imagine being able to store and share some of the unforgettable incidents in your life. Well, people maintain diaries, to jot down some important and unforgettable happenings in their life. But even their near and dear ones won’t get to see these pages because a diary is considered very personal.
Re-living pleasant memories can make one feel less lonely, happier and even motivated.
Especially in these times, where the elderly are often packed off to senior-citizen homes and with rising rate of Alzheimer’s, memories can help combat loneliness, says Shriya Sekhsaria, founder of Lumhaa, an online memory management company.
How it began
This youngster, a psychology researcher said she had spent some time with terminally ill children. “When some of them passed away, I found their parents inconsolable. I thought it would make them happy if I could bring back some happy memories of their children, and their family could relive such times and feel better. I mailed them little glass jars with snippets of stories the children shared with me, the drawings they did, voice recordings and whatever else I could associate with the child. These ‘memory jars’ seemed to do wonders. I then went on to work with Army units, senior citizens and others to refine the concept that gave rise to Lumhaa,” Sekhsaria said.
Rapid expansion
The company was launched in February 2018 with a beta version and a mobile app, to enable any visitor to the site add photos, videos, voice and text memories.
By July last, the company was estimated at over $2.5 million, and since then Lumhaa has set its footprint in 60 countries, said Shriya, preparing to unveil the site and introduce this idea to Coimbatoreans.
She said the users would be able to upload their memories for free up to 3GB. “If they need more space, they will have to pay,” she said and added that Lumhaa worked with Princeton University and is in advanced talks with organisations like the United Nations for projects such as refugee community integration through memory sharing.
She has approached local organisations such as the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, various schools and management institutes to start capturing the human side of the history of Coimbatore.
Revenue generation
To a query on revenue generation, she said that apart from digital content, the company also sold products that helped bring back memories.
“People can only upload pictures and contents. They will not be able to download, and the user can opt to share the posts or restrict it to a limited circle,” she said in reply to a query.