Unibuddy
{{Short description|Student engagement platform}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Unibuddy Limited
| logo = UnibuddyLogo.png
| type = Private
| industry = Education technology
| foundation = {{start date|2015}}
| founder = Kimeshan Naidoo, Diego Fanara
| location = London, United Kingdom
| key_people =
| products = {{Hlist | Chat | Discover | Events | Community | Assistant}}
| revenue = £5,432,000 (2022)
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| aum =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| num_employees = 50-100
| parent =
| divisions =
| subsid = Unibuddy India Private Limited
| website = {{URL|unibuddy.com}}
| intl =
}}
Unibuddy is an EdTech company that provides a student engagement platform for higher education institutions.{{Cite web |date=27 April 2022 |title=How peer-to-peer marketing can help with student representation |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/how-peertopeer-marketing-can-help-student-representation |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=THE Campus Learn, Share, Connect}} The platform allows prospective and current students to connect with student ambassadors and alumni from the same or similar courses, providing a peer-to-peer support network enabling prospective students to learn about life at a particular university, including course information, accommodation, and student life.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-22 |title=Unibuddy |url=https://student-recruitment.ed.ac.uk/student-ambassador-scheme/unibuddy |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=The University of Edinburgh |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2020-03-11 |title=Unibuddy: The P2P platform every international student should know about |url=https://studyinternational.com/news/unibuddy-international-student/ |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=Study International}} Unibuddy was founded in 2015{{Cite web |title=UNIBUDDY LIMITED overview – Find and update company information – GOV.UK |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/09790742 |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk |language=en}} by Kimeshan Naidoo{{Cite web |last=Burke |first=Elaine |date=25 January 2021 |title=Unibuddy: A scale-up with big goals for human-centred decision-making |url=https://www.siliconrepublic.com/start-ups/unibuddy-edtech-london |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=Silicon Republic |language=en}} and Diego Fanara{{Cite web |title=Unibuddy |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/unibuddy/ |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=Forbes |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |date=2021-07-16 |title=Education technology firm supported by UCL raises $20m in funding |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/jul/education-technology-firm-supported-ucl-raises-20m-funding |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=UCL News |language=en}} in London, United Kingdom.{{Cite web |title=Unibuddy {{!}} Speak to our team |url=https://unibuddy.com/contact/ |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=unibuddy.com}}
Products
Unibuddy's main product is Chat,{{Cite web |title=Unibuddy {{!}} One-to-one Chat |url=https://unibuddy.com/chat/ |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=unibuddy.com}} a student engagement platform that enables higher education institutions to connect prospective students, often in high school, with student ambassadors and alumni. The platform includes features such as one-to-one messaging, group chat, and video calling, as well as a range of tools for student ambassadors to manage their interactions with prospective students. In 2022, Unibuddy launched Community, a product to help higher education institutions create belonging and to help students connect with each other over common interests in groups.{{Cite web |date=12 May 2022 |title=Unibuddy releases community product to promote belonging among prospective students |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/unibuddy-releases-community-product-promote-belonging-among-prospective-students |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=THE Campus Learn, Share, Connect}}
Partnerships
Unibuddy has partnerships with over 600 higher education institutions{{Cite web |title=Partners |url=https://unibuddy.com/partnerships/partners/ |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=unibuddy.com}} around the world, including the University of Cambridge, NYU, Imperial College London and Arizona State University. In addition, Unibuddy has a partnership with UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service),{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=10 April 2020 |title=The science of student recruitment |url=https://edtechnology.co.uk/features/science-of-student-recruitment/ |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=Education Technology |language=en-GB |archive-date=16 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216044144/https://edtechnology.co.uk/features/science-of-student-recruitment/ |url-status=dead }} the organisation responsible for managing applications to higher education institutions in the UK. Through this partnership, Unibuddy provides its platform to UCAS to help prospective students connect with current university students and alumni as they make their decisions on where to apply to university.{{Cite web |date=6 November 2019 |title=Get your students chatting with Unibuddy |url=https://www.ucas.com/advisers/guides-and-resources/adviser-news/news/get-your-students-chatting-unibuddy |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=UCAS |language=en}} This partnership allows UCAS to offer a more personalised and comprehensive service to its users, helping them make informed decisions about their education.
Funding
Unibuddy has raised a total of $32 million in funding from investors including Stride VC,{{Cite web |last=Butcher |first=Mike |date=4 May 2021 |title=London's Stride VC raised second $138.6M seed fund, hunts for third partner |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/05/04/londons-stride-vc-raised-second-138-6m-seed-fund-hunts-for-third-partner/ |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} Highland VC{{Cite press release |last=Unibuddy |date=7 July 2021 |title=Global Edtech Startup, Unibuddy, Raises $20 Million Series B to Reinvent College Recruitment |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2021/07/07/2258955/0/en/Global-Edtech-Startup-Unibuddy-Raises-20-Million-Series-B-to-Reinvent-College-Recruitment.html |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=GlobeNewswire News Room |language=en}} and Daniel Borel.{{Cite web |last=Stacey |first=Viggo |date=2019-07-16 |title=Unibuddy secures $5m Series A funding |url=https://thepienews.com/unibuddy-expand-to-us-with-5m-series-a-funding/ |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=The PIE News |language=en-GB}} In 2019, the company raised a $5 million Series A funding round,{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Unibuddy to expand to US with $5m Series A funding |url=https://thepienews.com/news/unibuddy-expand-to-us-with-5m-series-a-funding/ |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=thepienews.com |date= 16 July 2019|language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Unibuddy Company Information |url=https://www.seedtable.com/startups/unibuddy |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=Seedtable}} and additional $5 million Series A round in Q1 2021 which was finally followed by a $20 million Series B{{Cite web |date=8 July 2021 |title=After witnessing 190% growth amid the pandemic, UK-based edtech startup Unibuddy raises €16.9M {{!}} Silicon Canals |url=https://siliconcanals.com/news/startups/edtech/unibuddy-raises-16-9m/ |access-date=2022-12-17 |language=en-US}} funding round later in 2021.{{Cite web |date=7 July 2021 |title=Exclusive: London edtech firm Unibuddy raises $20m after pandemic boost |url=https://www.cityam.com/exclusive-london-edtech-firm-unibuddy-raises-20m-after-pandemic-boost/ |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=CityAM |language=en-GB}}