Work / Kwelta
Kwelta
The Situation
The founder wanted one place where creators could sell anything digital, including photos, videos, music, books and digital art, and also earn from paid one-to-one video calls. Buyers needed to trust what they were paying for, and sellers needed confidence that their work wouldn’t be copied the moment it was shown. The product had to launch on iOS, Android and the web, with its own backend and an admin panel to run the marketplace.
The Constraint
Digital files are easy to copy, so the work had to be protected before and after it was sold. Every sale, trade and booking needed a way to resolve disputes and handle refunds. Creators needed to be paid out to their own accounts. The audience was international from day one, including languages that read right to left.
What we did
We built the full platform: the iOS and Android app, the web app, the Node.js backend and the admin panel. All four are live.
Preview before purchase: sellers upload two versions of each item, the original and a separate preview that is blurred or watermarked. Buyers see only the preview until they pay. Each file type (photo, video or PDF book) has its own resolution and size rules.
Content protection: screenshots and screen recording are blocked on protected screens, so paid content can’t simply be captured.
Paid video calls in the app: creators set their weekly availability and publish “Contact Deals”. Buyers book and pay, and the call happens in K-Welta itself. We kept calls in the app instead of sending people to an outside video tool, so the payment, the call and any dispute stay connected.
Disputes and refunds: a buyer can open a dispute with a reason and talk to support in a dedicated dispute chat. A refund is issued if the claim checks out, for example a corrupted file.
Payouts and payments: sellers connect a Stripe account for payouts, and buyers can pay by card, PayPal or K-Welta coins. Creators can also offer bundles, accept trades and receive gifts.
Trust and security: ID document verification, two-factor sign-in, biometric login, public reviews after each order, and a global ranking with emblems.
Built for many markets: the app is available in 12 languages, including Arabic and Urdu laid out right to left. iOS builds are produced and uploaded by an automated GitHub Actions pipeline.
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The trade-off
Blocking screenshots protects sellers, but it applies to everyone on those screens. A buyer can’t screenshot a problem to show support, and a seller can’t capture their own listing to share elsewhere. We accepted that friction because protecting paid work is the reason sellers trust the platform. Blocking can’t stop someone filming the screen with a second phone, which is why previews are blurred or watermarked too.
Outcome
| Metric | Value | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live on | iOS, Android and web, plus admin panel | Store listings | Oct 2025 |
| Built by Algoace | Mobile app, web app, Node.js backend, admin panel | Delivery records | May 2024 to Oct 2025 |
| Languages | 12, including two right-to-left | App source | Oct 2025 |
| App screens | About 90 | App source | Oct 2025 |
| Commits (mobile app) | 1,283 | Repository history | May 2024 to Oct 2025 |
| Live versions | iOS 1.4.0 · Android 1.0.87 | Release records | Oct 2025 |
What we would do differently
We would launch with the core marketplace first: listing, buying, payouts and disputes. Then we’d add trades, gifts, bundles and video calls once real sellers were using it. Building everything for the first release made it longer, and early users would have shaped the later features better than the original specification did.
More work
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Ready when the work has to be right the first time.
A 30-minute scoping call with a senior engineer, designer or growth lead. You will leave with a written view of scope, risks and a realistic timeline, whether or not you hire us.
12 years40+ shipped products6 industries
Karachi and Sharjah