We built this app because we needed it
Buddiz did not come out of a business plan. It came out of two very concrete problems, ours.
How it happened
Padel, and one Facebook group per venue
When I started playing padel, you needed a Facebook group and a WhatsApp thread for every venue just to fill a session. I created the Padel Normandie group to have one single place for the whole region. It worked for a few weeks, then messages got lost in the thread. A chat thread is not built for this: no date, no level, no remaining spot, no memory.
Marathon training, and long runs on my own
During my marathon training, on the long runs, I looked for an app to find people running at my pace, at the same times, who love trail like I do. I found nothing. What existed measured my performance. Nobody told me who to run with on Sunday morning.
I built the app, Romain joined me
What I could not find, I could build: I have been developing apps for over ten years, it is my job. Romain believed in the project and joined me: he runs the community, and we make the decisions together. He was going through the same thing in five-a-side football: finding a tenth player, chasing people, counting who shows up. The problem is the same everywhere, whatever the sport. Motivation is not what is missing, people to go with are. Buddiz launched in April 2026.
We use it ourselves, every week
We use Buddiz the way you do: we create outings, we join them, we get the group moving. When something feels wrong in the app, it usually annoyed us for real the weekend before. That is how we decide what to do next, and so far it suits us.
Where we have been talked about
What we want, and what we do not
Above all, bringing people together around sport: a community that plays together, whatever the level, with no comparison and no ranking. Consistency over the clock. Someone running at 7 min/km belongs here as much as someone chasing a 3-hour marathon, and owes nobody an explanation.
What we will not do: performance rankings, public records, a race for data. Others do that very well, it is not our subject.
Why it is free
We get asked often, so here is the simple answer.
Because we built it for ourselves
The app came out of a need, not a business plan. We fund it ourselves, in our spare time, and we use it as much as you do. As long as it serves us, it is here.
What is free today will stay free
It is the simplest commitment we can make, and it fits on one line: everything you do here stays free.
- Finding partners near you
- Creating an outing, joining one
- Joining a club and taking part in it
- Chatting, organising, coming back every week
And later?
A project has to stand on its own feet, so one day there will be services for the people who organise. Nothing that touches what you come here for: playing, meeting up, keeping your rhythm together.
Your data
We do not sell it. No member list handed over, no contact details passed to a third party. It is hosted in Europe, and you can delete your account at any time: it all goes with it.
To be complete: like any website, we use audience measurement tools, and advertising to make the app known, with your consent and according to your phone settings. That is usage statistics, not reselling your profile.
Why we would love to see you here
An app like this one is worth nothing on its own: an outing does not fill up if nobody is around. If we talk about it a lot, that is why, and nothing else.
Go further
Questions we get asked
Why is Buddiz free?
Because we built it for ourselves, to solve a problem we had as athletes, and we fund it ourselves. What you use today will stay free.
Do you sell my data?
No. We do not sell any member list and we do not hand your contact details to third parties. Your data is hosted in Europe and you can delete your account at any time. We do use audience measurement and advertising tools to make the app known, with your consent.
Will it become paid?
Not what you do here: finding partners, creating an outing, joining one, joining a club and chatting stay free. One day there will be services for the people who organise, and they will change nothing about your own practice.
Who is behind Buddiz?
Two people, in Normandy, France. Valentin has been developing apps for over ten years: he built Buddiz out of his own problems (padel, running). Romain believed in the project and joined him to run the community and share the decisions. The app launched in April 2026, and we use it ourselves every week.