Social app Linkup is preparing to launch in Manchester on September 15th in time for the freshers’ week.
The pioneering social app is on a mission to take the pressure off of making new friends and recently closed a £450,000 pre-seed round, with investment from hip hop duo Krept & Konan, YouTuber Calfreezy and other YouTubers and footballers.
Linkup was founded by Jack Peagam and Ben Whatson, who have two previous startup ventures between them.
Whatson said: “Very simply, we want to help people socialise, meet and connect in the real world and I see Manchester as the perfect place to start.
“The pandemic, coupled with a big focus on digital innovation has left people lonely, particularly Generation Z now known as the loneliest generation ever.
“We want to empower people to use technology positively to break out of those cycles and therefore it was key to our mission to provide something seamless, easy to use and ultimately fun; a social app that actually makes you social.”
Linkup offers users a unique way to connect with different types of events and new people in their area.
Based on categories of interest, from sport to drinks to fitness, linkups are easily created in the user-friendly app and tackle the problem of loneliness and anxiety around socialising head-on.
The app features a swipe through of different events, or ‘linkups’, happening nearby, a chat function to speak to people before attending and get the details, specific location services and integrated core safety features.
Whatson added: “We’re building a community and we can’t wait to see Linkup take over Manchester in a few weeks. It’s been a challenging two years and the thriving student community deserves a genuine social tool, and incoming freshers will have something in their pocket that helps them experience the best Manchester has to offer.”
Linkup has secured backing from big names in the entertainment industry and key early investors and adopters. Amongst them was Tappable, a UK app development company, which recognised the ambition and potential of Linkup’s core values and principles.
Raj Singh, Tappable CEO, said: “Jack and Ben are building something genuinely exciting and important to the society we live in today.
“A product that encourages people to go out and meet other people with similar interests and form new relationships and genuinely get social again.
“After the few years we have had I can’t think of anything more valuable to society, particularly to the younger generations.
“Tappable saw the Linkup proposition was unique and was keen to be part of building a platform.”