Networking app for campus students unveiled

The app allows you to start or join audio conversations and post questions. [iStockphoto]

Two budding innovators in 2019 met over a cup of coffee and embarked on a journey to create a space for university students to connect and collaborate.

Three years later, Ed Magema and James Kimani have brought their idea to life through Univus, a social network for college students to build communities of friends globally.

Just as the name suggests, Univus, is the “students’ universe” where they are free to chat live, learn and network in a fun, easy environment.

Univus was conceived after Magema noticed a gap in the Educational Technology (EdTech) space pertaining to college students.

“Over the years, campus students have been the most underserved in terms of learning applications,” said Magema at the app’s launch in Nairobi.

“However, with Univus, they can now interact and connect with each other on a global scale and unlock their social capital,” he added.

Further, according to Kimani, his co-founder was looking for a means to connect students seeking opportunities to study abroad at elite universities such as Harvard and Cambridge.

Magema is a Mathematics graduate from Harvard while Kimani holds a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi.

“Due to the tedious process it takes to get admission to these institutions, he decided to refine the idea by coming up with a way to bridge the gap between students globally,” explained Kimani.

To join Univus, you only need to have an active university email address, which you will use to log into the app once downloaded, at no cost.

Like most apps, Univus allows you to create a student profile where you describe yourself - your institution, area of study and career aspirations - and attach your profile photo.