Our vision
We believe in open software for an open, better world.
We work with open technologies to develop tools that help maximize the impact of our partner’s work.
What brought us here
In 2011, the directors of EyeSeeTea, my colleague Adrian Quintana Perez and I, Ignacio Foche Perez conceived the idea of establishing a company that would amalgamate our interests in open-source technology and global development. We initially crossed paths during our Master’s Thesis in Telecommunication Networks for developing countries at the University Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid, where we specialized in implementing IT solutions in isolated rural areas. Even then, we were tech enthusiasts with a fervor for open software and hardware.
During our academic collaboration, Adrian and I delved into creating telemedicine devices and recognized the advantages of leveraging existing technologies. This experience influenced our decision to develop our own systems, embracing the ethos of reusing others’ technologies.
As time progressed, Adrian and I pursued our individual paths, yet our shared passion for the convergence of open-source code and global health endured. When the opportunity arose to establish the company, we seized it. EyeSeeTea’s initial forays into web development for DHIS2 (utilizing the D3 library for data visualization) and Android development (pioneering the first Android application fully compatible with DHIS2) took shape in 2015. What started as a side project organically evolved into our primary focus.
Despite diversifying our projects, we have remained rooted in our origins, emphasizing hardware devices and telecommunication engineering. Consequently, we established the third team at EyeSeeTea to tackle various projects, including Quality of Service for WiFi-4G networks in Open Source Linux routers and the development of Open Source & Open Hardware routers for community networks. Our extensive experience in computational neuroscience and biotechnology also introduced new dimensions to the web development team.
This journey, characterized by time, radical openness, and unwavering dedication, has shaped the current configuration of our team and our company.
After years of dedicated work, we can succinctly outline our core principles as follows:
- Recycle: We firmly believe that open source is the way forward, and sharing knowledge is the sole path to creating something truly useful and valuable for humankind.
- Diligence: In a world dominated by deadlines, there is often a tendency to overlook the importance of doing things correctly. From our perspective, a profit-driven approach doesn’t necessarily result in a better outcome. We prioritize the quality of software architecture as the paramount factor in our work.
- Commitment: Recognizing our role in a larger context, we understand that every time an initiative utilizes our software, they must be confident in our ability to deliver on time. The key to achieving this lies in the substantial effort we invest in the planning stages of a project. We firmly believe in delivering our work in the manner we would expect from a provider.
Adhering to these principles, we have earned recognition as a significant contributor to the Web & Android DHIS2 development realm. We collaborate with key players such as UiO, PSI, NRC, MSF, WHO, PATH, actively contributing to the open source and DHIS2 communities through our products.
Information and Communication Technologies for Research
Information and Communication Technologies for Development
Currently, half of the global population lacks access to adequate health services, with the burden of poor health disproportionately affecting those already living in poverty. Digital health has emerged as a pivotal domain in achieving universally accessible healthcare, particularly with the increasing global coverage and usage of mobile phones. In this context, we’ve developed applications that integrate with DHIS2, a free and open-source health management data platform widely utilized in countries worldwide, especially in Africa. Over 80 countries have adopted DHIS2 on a national scale, marking a significant transition from paper-based reporting to electronic systems.
Our applications, designed for ease of use, enable even those with limited reading abilities to swiftly report field information. Some apps facilitate near real-time transmission of health data and are tailored to function optimally in isolated rural areas of developing countries. They are adept at minimizing network traffic and can function seamlessly offline when necessary.
In alignment with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) endorsement of technology as a core element in improving medical services, we, as partners, emphasize the importance of utilizing open software for ICT4D. This approach not only encourages local developers to engage in development but also fosters a collaborative environment that shares development costs among multiple organizations. This cooperative strategy renders software more affordable for everyone, especially for organizations with limited resources, potentially reducing the development cost of an app from thousands of hours to only dozens.
Crucially, we adhere to the principles of digital development, prioritizing user-centric design throughout our processes. Our commitment is anchored in placing users at the forefront, ensuring that every design decision serves to maximize the impact of our partners’ work.