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As cities around the world grapple with rising pollution, traffic congestion and public health concerns tied to inactivity, finding solutions that address both personal health and sustainability is critical. How can individuals and organisations embrace healthier habits while contributing to a future with lower carbon emissions? Walk15, a Lithuania-born startup has rethought mobility and well-being through their innovative solution that encourages greater adoption of walking and cycling.
From personal passion to global impact
Walk15 began in 2016 as a personal project by Vlada Musvydaitė, a former professional athlete and mother. Inspired by the desire to promote health and quality family time outdoors, Musvydaitė created a concept to make walking more engaging by integrating points of interest, stories and fun facts. By 2019, this initiative had evolved into a full-fledged company. Today, Walk15 boasts nearly one million users and collaborates with 1,500 businesses globally. Its mission transcends personal well-being, aiming to inspire families, schools, sports teams and even governments to embrace walking as a purposeful and sustainable activity.
At its core, Walk15 is a daily-use app designed to make walking and cycling an integral part of everyday life. The way it works is that users sync their wearables or smart devices to track steps and cycling activity – all while maintaining privacy through a no-location-tracking approach. Step and cycling challenges allow users to participate in a gamified experience that helps to make regular physical activity more fun. Additionally, the app features curated walking and cycling routes with engaging content and carbon emissions savings tracking, so that individuals can monitor their environmental contributions by choosing sustainable transportation. Additionally, users can turn physical activity into real rewards like discounts and offers at stores through the steps wallet.
For businesses, Walk15 provides an innovative solution to drive employee engagement and align with sustainability goals. Through customised challenges and rewards, companies enhance workplace motivation, productivity and carbon emissions-consciousness.
Navigating opportunities
Rooted in Lithuania and now operating across Europe, including Germany, Romania, the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, Walk15’s multilingual platform, available in 32 languages, continues to expand its reach. With financial support as part of EIT Urban Mobility’s startup portfolio, Walk15 has accelerated its expansion in the Baltics and beyond. Recognised as one of Sifted’s top 30 fastest-growing startups in Eastern Europe and the Baltics, the company has also been a finalist in the EIT Digital Champions Awards and nominated for the Future Unicorns Award. These accolades reflect the company’s innovative approach and growing influence in mobility and sustainability.
Strategic partnerships, such as those with Euroleague and the GreenTech Festival, have amplified its impact and brought the app to new users. Companies like ERGO Group (MunichRe) leverage Walk15 to integrate well-being and sustainability initiatives into their operations for their employees’ benefit. Yet others like REWE Group use Walk15 Step Wallet to enhance customer loyalty in 610 stores across Europe by integrating sustainability into engagement strategies: customers can exchange collected steps for special discounts on healthy goods. One unique collaboration is with SOS-Kinderdörfer weltweit, an NGO that provides care and resources for children in need in more than 130 countries around the world. The collaboration enables businesses to direct Step and Cycling Challenge donations to this impactful cause.
A standout initiative organised by Walk15 is the National Mobility Challenge in Lithuania, spearheaded in collaboration with President Gitanas Nausėda. Over four years, this event has grown exponentially, with 2024 marking a record-breaking achievement of 45 billion steps walked by over 160,000 participants. This initiative not only promotes active lifestyles but also fosters inclusivity through accessible routes and community engagement.
Walk15 has also ventured into healthcare, with doctors prescribing Steps Prescriptions in the app to patients for preventive purposes. In partnership with Vilnius’s Šeškinė Clinic and Vilnius Centro Clinic in Lithuania, the app is used to set daily step goals tailored to individuals, aiming to prevent chronic diseases. Highlighted at the 19th National Health Economy Forum in Rostock, Germany, this initiative underscores Walk15’s potential to modernise healthcare by shifting the focus to long-term wellness and consistent movement throughout life.
A mobile and healthy future for Walk15
Walk15’s vision extends beyond walking and cycling. The company aims to become a comprehensive platform for diverse physical activities, supporting users with varied abilities. New features for wheelchair users and improved support for people with hearing difficulties exemplify its commitment to inclusivity.
The startup has become a catalyst for change, empowering organisations to engage audiences through walking and cycling challenges. By integrating health, community connection, rewards, and environmental consciousness, Walk15 has positioned itself as a leader in sustainable mobility and well-being.
