Most people do not expect a high school student to launch an app that tackles a real safety challenge. For Paarthiv Somesula, however, building products is simply a way to solve problems he cares about.
Paarthiv Somesula is a 16-year-old student in Abu Dhabi with a strong interest in technology. Instead of stopping at ideas, he enjoys turning them into working products. His latest project is RipplePond, an iPhone app that helps families and trusted groups stay connected during emergencies.
He built and launched the app himself while still in high school. Give RipplePond a try →
A Moment That Changed the Way He Thought About Safety
RipplePond started with a personal experience.
During a period of regional uncertainty, Paarthiv’s father was travelling back to the UAE while airspace faced disruptions. His family spent hours waiting for updates, unsure whether he was safe.
Watching his mother anxiously wait for news made him realize that many families face the same situation during emergencies. The hardest part is often not the emergency itself. It is the uncertainty. People do not know who is safe, who needs help, or who is close enough to respond.
Most families turn to phone calls or messaging groups, but those conversations can quickly become confusing when everyone is asking the same questions.
That experience stayed with him long after the situation was over. Instead of accepting it as something unavoidable, he started thinking about how technology could make those moments less stressful.
Turning an Idea Into RipplePond
Paarthiv built RipplePond to help trusted groups coordinate when every minute matters.
The app allows families, friends, classmates, and other private groups to create their own secure space. If someone starts a safety alert, every member can quickly mark themselves as Safe or Unsafe. When someone needs help, trusted members can immediately see useful information such as their location, battery level, emergency contacts, and how far away they are.
Instead of searching through dozens of messages or making multiple phone calls, everyone can see the same information in one place. That helps families understand the situation much faster and decide who is best placed to help.
How does RipplePond work?
RipplePond is designed for the moments before emergency services reach someone.
A nearby friend or family member may be able to arrive first, offer reassurance, provide basic assistance, or share useful information with emergency responders. RipplePond helps trusted people coordinate during that critical window instead of leaving everyone to communicate through separate calls and messages.
Paarthiv is clear that the app is not a replacement for emergency services. Users should always contact the appropriate authorities first when someone is in immediate danger. RipplePond simply helps trusted groups stay informed and organized while help is on the way.
Building an App While Balancing School
Developing a mobile app is challenging on its own. Doing it while keeping up with school makes the journey even more demanding.
Paarthiv designed, developed, and launched RipplePond himself as a student project with a real world purpose. Rather than waiting until later in his career, he decided to learn by building something people could actually use. Today, RipplePond is available on the Apple App Store, where families and trusted groups can use it as a private safety coordination app.
What’s Next for RipplePond
Although the app is already available, Paarthiv sees it as the beginning rather than the finished product.
He plans to add stronger alerting features, verified trusted groups, smarter routing that prioritizes nearby responders, Apple Watch support, and integrations with official safety guidance where appropriate.
As a student, he knows that taking RipplePond to the next stage will require more resources and partnerships. His goal is to make the app useful for more families, schools, and community organizations that want a better way to stay connected during emergencies.
Building Something That Started With One Simple Question
RipplePond began with a simple question: What if families had a better way to know everyone was safe?
That question led Paarthiv to build an app that addresses a problem many people experience but rarely think about until it happens to them.
His journey shows that meaningful ideas do not always come from large companies or experienced founders. Sometimes, they come from a student who notices a real problem, decides to solve it, and builds something that could help others.
