Student entrepreneurs launch online marketplace

Three University of Brighton students have created and launched the Uniimarket app – a buy and sell platform for peers at the institution.

Co-founders Ben Brooks and Anmol Mangat are both graduating this year studying BSc(Hons) Business Management, with Brighton Law LLB(Hons) graduate Ehab Ahmad, acting as a shareholder.

Anmol Mangat, Law LLB(Hons) student, co-founder of Uniimarket

Originally formed as part of module work, the Uniimarket app has since developed into what it is today in partnership with Beepurple, the university’s entrepreneurship service. With that support, which offers extra-curricular workshops, in-curricular lectures, competitions, 1-to-1 business mentoring and an intensive start-up summer course are offered for free, an app has been created which allows students to buy, sell and exchange products between them.

Ben said: “In a nutshell, this is a student marketplace whereby Brighton and eventually all university students in the UK are able to buy, sell or swap items with one another. It’s by students, for students.

Ben Brookes, Business Management BSc(Hons) student, co-founder of Uniimarket

“For example, this might be selling furniture from a student house but also getting rid of product design materials and things that might otherwise be thrown away. Big tick for sustainability.

“We’ve added a messaging system so that students can negotiate prices and arrange pick-up points.

“There is also a subscription feature within the marketplace app which allows users to subscribe to other users on the app, as well as different categories and subcategories of items. This feature enables users to be the first to know about a new product being posted into the market.”

Ben and the team are hoping that the app can have similar success to other student-graduate businesses which launched with beepurple’s support, including Emily Brooke’s bike safety products which are being sold around the world, Oscar Blazquez Sanchez’s Iberica Spanish Food, the award-winning importer of authentic Spanish products; Jaspreet Paul’s ‘UniRoomie’ an accommodation finder app for students; and Karen Burrett who now runs her own clinic ‘First Foot Clinic’ in Shoreham.

Ben said: “We are excited to bring students together and do our part for the student community. It can be expensive buying materials and items for the home while at university – we are hoping to put a little bit of money back in a student’s pocket”.

Find out more about the Uniimarket app via the website and download via the Apple App Store and Google Play.