Kathmandu. Until yesterday, China’s “Are You Dead?” app was only in the news for its viral name and unique concept. Today, the story has taken a step forward. It’s no longer just about the check-in button, it’s now about app money, scale, rebranding, and startup pricing.
The biggest new update is that this app is now moving from a viral trend to a business. According to reports, three young developers created it with a small investment of about 1,000 yuan (20,750 rupees). Now its valuation has reached 10 million yuan i.e. 20.75 crore rupees. This means that small safety ideas are now being talked about in the same language as a startup.
The name ‘Are You Dead’ became both its virality and its problem. Some laugh at the name, while others feel uncomfortable.
The latest development is that the team is rebranding it as DEMUMU for an international audience. The reason is simple: it can be difficult to maintain such a morbid name on the App Store and mainstream users worldwide. This means that the app’s identity is shifting from a shock value to a utility.
Initially, the app was free or cheap. This meant no maintenance costs. However, when it gets to the top downloads, its operating costs increase: servers, notifications, e-mail delivery and support. For this reason, it has now moved to a paid model. Its fee is about 8 yuan.
The main feature of the app is what makes it viral, a big button. All a user has to do is check in every 24-48 hours with “I’m fine” or “I’m alive”. If the check-in is not done for two consecutive days, the app sends an email alert to the selected emergency contact.
This means the app isn’t tracking location; It works by checking in on signals. That is its characteristic that there are no excessive permissions, no complicated features, just a straightforward mechanism.
The real driver of this story is not technology, but China’s changing lifestyle. According to reports, more than 200 million people live alone in China. Young and old people living alone in big cities, whose children live far away. The worry of who will know if something will happen in such an environment is real.
That’s why this app has reached the top of the paid charts on China’s App Store and is no longer limited to China. This app has also started appearing in stores in other countries.
