March 18, 2025
From research question to global tool | Tiimo's Story
Tiimo started as a research project and grew into a global planning app designed for neurodivergent minds. Here’s how we built a tool that actually works.
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Tiimo started as a research project and grew into a global planning app designed for neurodivergent minds. Here’s how we built a tool that actually works.
In 2015, I wasn’t planning to start a company. I was a graduate student researching inclusion in Danish schools. Denmark had just introduced a reform aimed at integrating students with support needs into mainstream classrooms. On paper, it was progress. In reality, many families were left without the right tools to make it work.
As part of our research, we spent time with families of children with ADHD. We saw the daily struggles that don’t make it into policy discussions: missed assignments, chaotic mornings, and planning systems designed for people who think in neat, linear steps. But for many neurodivergent students, traditional planners weren’t just unhelpful; they were inaccessible.
One parent asked a question that stuck with me: Why isn’t there a tool that actually works for the way my kid thinks?
At the time, we didn’t have an answer. But that question set everything in motion.
After finishing our thesis, my co-founder Melissa and I moved on to full-time jobs. But the families we had worked with kept reaching out. They didn’t just want research. They needed a tool.
We kept searching for one to recommend, but it didn’t exist. And the more we thought about it, the more we realized these families weren’t just talking about school schedules or homework. They were pointing to a much bigger issue.
Most productivity tools assume a single way of organizing time: structured routines, uninterrupted focus, and a level of executive function that not everyone has. If the system doesn’t work for you, the expectation is that you need to change. We wanted to flip that. What if the system adapted to the way you think instead?
From the start, we had to strike a balance. How do you build a tool for neurodivergent people without flattening their experiences into one?
What makes planning difficult for one person might not be an issue for someone else. Some people need step-by-step breakdowns. Others need open-ended, flexible scheduling. Some benefit from frequent reminders. Others find them overwhelming.
At first, we tried to accommodate everything. If a user requested a feature, we wanted to add it. But we learned the hard way that trying to be everything for everyone makes you nothing to anyone.
Instead of expanding in every possible direction, we committed to what we set out to do: Making time management truly visual, intuitive, and accessible.
Once we got that foundation right, everything else could grow from there.
Tiimo has never been a corporate behemoth. We’re small, independent, and built from the ground up with a clear mission. What we do have is a committed team and a community of users who remind us daily why this work matters.
Melissa was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia as an adult, long after we had already started working on Tiimo. That moment wasn’t just personal. It was a confirmation of why our work mattered. She had spent years struggling with tools that weren’t designed for her, and now we had the chance to change that for others.
In 2020, we secured €3.2 million in seed funding from investors like Crowberry Capital, People Ventures, and Goodwater Capital. But we didn’t take funding to chase scale for the sake of it. Every step was about refining the product and staying focused on what we do best.
And last year, we raised an additional €1.6 million, backed by The Inner Foundation. This wasn’t just about financial backing, it was a sign that more investors are recognizing what our users have known all along: accessibility isn’t a niche feature, it’s the future of productivity.
This funding is helping us expand our AI-powered planning tools, making Tiimo even more adaptive to how people actually think.
In 2024, we were nominated for an Apple Design Award in the inclusivity category, a moment that confirmed what we’ve believed from day one. Accessibility isn’t an afterthought or an extra feature, it’s what makes technology truly work for people.
And now, Tiimo has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025.
Fast Company recognized Tiimo as one of the most groundbreaking workplace innovations of the year, highlighting our work in making productivity tools more accessible to neurodivergent workers.
Most planning tools assume one way of thinking: structured, linear, and detail-oriented. Tiimo was built for the rest of us.
The recognition from Fast Company is a milestone, but it’s also a reminder of why we started. Neurodivergent people shouldn’t have to struggle with tools that weren’t built for them. And frankly, most people, neurodivergent or not, benefit from planning systems that are flexible, intuitive, and designed for real life.
Technology is evolving fast, and artificial intelligence is changing everything. But for many neurodivergent people, AI has made things harder by reinforcing biases, complicating workflows, and assuming everyone thinks the same way. We see an opportunity to do the opposite.
Right now, if an app doesn’t work for someone, they have to adjust to it. What if it adjusted to them instead?
Tiimo’s AI already helps users turn their thoughts into structured, actionable plans, suggesting task breakdowns and estimating realistic time frames. The goal is to make planning even more intuitive, responding to how each user processes information.
Most productivity tools treat success as a checklist of completed tasks. But real productivity isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing what actually works for you.
Our tools reinforce that planning should support mental health, not just to-do lists.
With 1.6 billion neurodivergent people worldwide, there is still so much work to do. We’re not just building for individuals. We want workplaces, schools, and communities to rethink how they support neurodivergent people.
Ten years later, Melissa and I are still at Tiimo. And we’re still just as passionate as we were on day one, except now, we’re lucky enough to work with an incredible team who shares that drive.
We’re still here because there’s still work to do. And we’re excited to keep learning, evolving, and building alongside our community.
Want to see what truly inclusive planning looks like?
Try Tiimo today.
Tiimo started as a research project and grew into a global planning app designed for neurodivergent minds. Here’s how we built a tool that actually works.
In 2015, I wasn’t planning to start a company. I was a graduate student researching inclusion in Danish schools. Denmark had just introduced a reform aimed at integrating students with support needs into mainstream classrooms. On paper, it was progress. In reality, many families were left without the right tools to make it work.
As part of our research, we spent time with families of children with ADHD. We saw the daily struggles that don’t make it into policy discussions: missed assignments, chaotic mornings, and planning systems designed for people who think in neat, linear steps. But for many neurodivergent students, traditional planners weren’t just unhelpful; they were inaccessible.
One parent asked a question that stuck with me: Why isn’t there a tool that actually works for the way my kid thinks?
At the time, we didn’t have an answer. But that question set everything in motion.
After finishing our thesis, my co-founder Melissa and I moved on to full-time jobs. But the families we had worked with kept reaching out. They didn’t just want research. They needed a tool.
We kept searching for one to recommend, but it didn’t exist. And the more we thought about it, the more we realized these families weren’t just talking about school schedules or homework. They were pointing to a much bigger issue.
Most productivity tools assume a single way of organizing time: structured routines, uninterrupted focus, and a level of executive function that not everyone has. If the system doesn’t work for you, the expectation is that you need to change. We wanted to flip that. What if the system adapted to the way you think instead?
From the start, we had to strike a balance. How do you build a tool for neurodivergent people without flattening their experiences into one?
What makes planning difficult for one person might not be an issue for someone else. Some people need step-by-step breakdowns. Others need open-ended, flexible scheduling. Some benefit from frequent reminders. Others find them overwhelming.
At first, we tried to accommodate everything. If a user requested a feature, we wanted to add it. But we learned the hard way that trying to be everything for everyone makes you nothing to anyone.
Instead of expanding in every possible direction, we committed to what we set out to do: Making time management truly visual, intuitive, and accessible.
Once we got that foundation right, everything else could grow from there.
Tiimo has never been a corporate behemoth. We’re small, independent, and built from the ground up with a clear mission. What we do have is a committed team and a community of users who remind us daily why this work matters.
Melissa was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia as an adult, long after we had already started working on Tiimo. That moment wasn’t just personal. It was a confirmation of why our work mattered. She had spent years struggling with tools that weren’t designed for her, and now we had the chance to change that for others.
In 2020, we secured €3.2 million in seed funding from investors like Crowberry Capital, People Ventures, and Goodwater Capital. But we didn’t take funding to chase scale for the sake of it. Every step was about refining the product and staying focused on what we do best.
And last year, we raised an additional €1.6 million, backed by The Inner Foundation. This wasn’t just about financial backing, it was a sign that more investors are recognizing what our users have known all along: accessibility isn’t a niche feature, it’s the future of productivity.
This funding is helping us expand our AI-powered planning tools, making Tiimo even more adaptive to how people actually think.
In 2024, we were nominated for an Apple Design Award in the inclusivity category, a moment that confirmed what we’ve believed from day one. Accessibility isn’t an afterthought or an extra feature, it’s what makes technology truly work for people.
And now, Tiimo has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025.
Fast Company recognized Tiimo as one of the most groundbreaking workplace innovations of the year, highlighting our work in making productivity tools more accessible to neurodivergent workers.
Most planning tools assume one way of thinking: structured, linear, and detail-oriented. Tiimo was built for the rest of us.
The recognition from Fast Company is a milestone, but it’s also a reminder of why we started. Neurodivergent people shouldn’t have to struggle with tools that weren’t built for them. And frankly, most people, neurodivergent or not, benefit from planning systems that are flexible, intuitive, and designed for real life.
Technology is evolving fast, and artificial intelligence is changing everything. But for many neurodivergent people, AI has made things harder by reinforcing biases, complicating workflows, and assuming everyone thinks the same way. We see an opportunity to do the opposite.
Right now, if an app doesn’t work for someone, they have to adjust to it. What if it adjusted to them instead?
Tiimo’s AI already helps users turn their thoughts into structured, actionable plans, suggesting task breakdowns and estimating realistic time frames. The goal is to make planning even more intuitive, responding to how each user processes information.
Most productivity tools treat success as a checklist of completed tasks. But real productivity isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing what actually works for you.
Our tools reinforce that planning should support mental health, not just to-do lists.
With 1.6 billion neurodivergent people worldwide, there is still so much work to do. We’re not just building for individuals. We want workplaces, schools, and communities to rethink how they support neurodivergent people.
Ten years later, Melissa and I are still at Tiimo. And we’re still just as passionate as we were on day one, except now, we’re lucky enough to work with an incredible team who shares that drive.
We’re still here because there’s still work to do. And we’re excited to keep learning, evolving, and building alongside our community.
Want to see what truly inclusive planning looks like?
Try Tiimo today.
Tiimo started as a research project and grew into a global planning app designed for neurodivergent minds. Here’s how we built a tool that actually works.
In 2015, I wasn’t planning to start a company. I was a graduate student researching inclusion in Danish schools. Denmark had just introduced a reform aimed at integrating students with support needs into mainstream classrooms. On paper, it was progress. In reality, many families were left without the right tools to make it work.
As part of our research, we spent time with families of children with ADHD. We saw the daily struggles that don’t make it into policy discussions: missed assignments, chaotic mornings, and planning systems designed for people who think in neat, linear steps. But for many neurodivergent students, traditional planners weren’t just unhelpful; they were inaccessible.
One parent asked a question that stuck with me: Why isn’t there a tool that actually works for the way my kid thinks?
At the time, we didn’t have an answer. But that question set everything in motion.
After finishing our thesis, my co-founder Melissa and I moved on to full-time jobs. But the families we had worked with kept reaching out. They didn’t just want research. They needed a tool.
We kept searching for one to recommend, but it didn’t exist. And the more we thought about it, the more we realized these families weren’t just talking about school schedules or homework. They were pointing to a much bigger issue.
Most productivity tools assume a single way of organizing time: structured routines, uninterrupted focus, and a level of executive function that not everyone has. If the system doesn’t work for you, the expectation is that you need to change. We wanted to flip that. What if the system adapted to the way you think instead?
From the start, we had to strike a balance. How do you build a tool for neurodivergent people without flattening their experiences into one?
What makes planning difficult for one person might not be an issue for someone else. Some people need step-by-step breakdowns. Others need open-ended, flexible scheduling. Some benefit from frequent reminders. Others find them overwhelming.
At first, we tried to accommodate everything. If a user requested a feature, we wanted to add it. But we learned the hard way that trying to be everything for everyone makes you nothing to anyone.
Instead of expanding in every possible direction, we committed to what we set out to do: Making time management truly visual, intuitive, and accessible.
Once we got that foundation right, everything else could grow from there.
Tiimo has never been a corporate behemoth. We’re small, independent, and built from the ground up with a clear mission. What we do have is a committed team and a community of users who remind us daily why this work matters.
Melissa was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia as an adult, long after we had already started working on Tiimo. That moment wasn’t just personal. It was a confirmation of why our work mattered. She had spent years struggling with tools that weren’t designed for her, and now we had the chance to change that for others.
In 2020, we secured €3.2 million in seed funding from investors like Crowberry Capital, People Ventures, and Goodwater Capital. But we didn’t take funding to chase scale for the sake of it. Every step was about refining the product and staying focused on what we do best.
And last year, we raised an additional €1.6 million, backed by The Inner Foundation. This wasn’t just about financial backing, it was a sign that more investors are recognizing what our users have known all along: accessibility isn’t a niche feature, it’s the future of productivity.
This funding is helping us expand our AI-powered planning tools, making Tiimo even more adaptive to how people actually think.
In 2024, we were nominated for an Apple Design Award in the inclusivity category, a moment that confirmed what we’ve believed from day one. Accessibility isn’t an afterthought or an extra feature, it’s what makes technology truly work for people.
And now, Tiimo has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025.
Fast Company recognized Tiimo as one of the most groundbreaking workplace innovations of the year, highlighting our work in making productivity tools more accessible to neurodivergent workers.
Most planning tools assume one way of thinking: structured, linear, and detail-oriented. Tiimo was built for the rest of us.
The recognition from Fast Company is a milestone, but it’s also a reminder of why we started. Neurodivergent people shouldn’t have to struggle with tools that weren’t built for them. And frankly, most people, neurodivergent or not, benefit from planning systems that are flexible, intuitive, and designed for real life.
Technology is evolving fast, and artificial intelligence is changing everything. But for many neurodivergent people, AI has made things harder by reinforcing biases, complicating workflows, and assuming everyone thinks the same way. We see an opportunity to do the opposite.
Right now, if an app doesn’t work for someone, they have to adjust to it. What if it adjusted to them instead?
Tiimo’s AI already helps users turn their thoughts into structured, actionable plans, suggesting task breakdowns and estimating realistic time frames. The goal is to make planning even more intuitive, responding to how each user processes information.
Most productivity tools treat success as a checklist of completed tasks. But real productivity isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing what actually works for you.
Our tools reinforce that planning should support mental health, not just to-do lists.
With 1.6 billion neurodivergent people worldwide, there is still so much work to do. We’re not just building for individuals. We want workplaces, schools, and communities to rethink how they support neurodivergent people.
Ten years later, Melissa and I are still at Tiimo. And we’re still just as passionate as we were on day one, except now, we’re lucky enough to work with an incredible team who shares that drive.
We’re still here because there’s still work to do. And we’re excited to keep learning, evolving, and building alongside our community.
Want to see what truly inclusive planning looks like?
Try Tiimo today.
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