Two Manchester entrepreneurs have received backing from music duo Krept & Konan, plus footballers and angel investors for their new social network.
Linkup has raised $540k in pre-seed funding, as it seeks to “revolutionise” how people socialise.
Set to launch later this year, Linkup is the brainchild of Jack Peagam and Ben Whatson.
The free-to-use tool allows users to connect with people in their area, in the moment to make socialising “easy to arrange and enjoy.” The theory being that in the post-pandemic world people have been struggling to get back into the real world and build new relationships.
“When I saw what Linkup was doing I was immediately interested,” explain Casyo ‘Krept’ Johnson, one half of duo Krept & Konan and an early Linkup investor.
“It’s very unique and no one else is connecting people simply and quickly in this way. I truly believe what they’re building is going to be a game changer. I saw how I could use this personally but also professionally as an artist. The applications are endless, hence the huge size of the opportunity. This is why I decided to personally invest and help support the business!”
The company has joined forces with app development company, Tappable to create the platform. Users can swipe through different types of linkups, from sociable drinks to a game of tennis and then request to join. Once accepted, they’ll be added to a group chat, which features all the event details, including location – and integrated safety features.
Peagam is a former filmmaker and camera operator, who co-founded Linkup and Actve with Whatson – who was Social Media Manager at McCann Manchester.
They explained that they were inspired after seeing how young people’s mental health has steadily declined in recent years.
“The pandemic hit everyone hard, and it was daunting to meet new people once restrictions were lifted, let alone taking into account how reliant most generations are now on their digital screens!’ said Peagam.
“After two years of social distancing, people are still struggling to develop new friendships, get to know new cities they’ve moved to, or even discover new hobbies.
“We wanted to create something that actively supports users to get back out into the real world, go on adventures, and do more of what they love. This investment has brought our business vision to life and supported us to build the fundamentals of the app and we can’t wait to launch Linkup to the public later this year.”
The app is set to be launched in September, in time for Freshers Week.
