Student builds Koffeeyap to help students make friends

Dev Tiwari, a fourth-year computing science student at the University of Alberta, saw how difficult it was to connect with others on campus.

That’s why he created Koffeeyap: a friendship platform that connects two people in the city for coffee at an independent cafe. 

For an $8 fee, users get matched with a profile they’re likely to be compatible with. The service is $8 for one match, or $6 monthly for one match per month. 

Alternative to student groups and early beginnings

“I’m a transfer student. So when I came, I knew nobody on [North] Campus,” said Tiwari. “I’ve even seen people who live in the dorms find it hard to make friends.”

Unlike Augustana Campus, which has a “close-knit community,” North Campus’ great number of students can make it difficult to form long-lasting friendships.

He tried attending student group events and signing up for the university’s peer-connection program, but there was one key problem. These events were often hosted at times that clashed with Tiwari’s schedule, making him unable to attend. 

There’s also the problem of incompatibility and feeling anxious about attending these events. Many student groups aren’t focused on friendship, which Tiwari noted is high in demand after talking with many students. 

Koffeeyap is more flexible. It allows users to meet at a time and day that is most convenient and works around their busy schedules. It’s also more personally curated.

Tiwari got the idea for holding the meet-ups in a cafe from attending a coffee chat with an engineering manager. He originally wanted Koffeeyap to be centred around networking, but ultimately realized that more people would rather make friends than develop professional connections. 

“We even went to dating at one point,” he reflected. While Koffeeyap may seem like an online dating app but for friendship, Tiwari said this could not be further from the truth. 

While dating apps are designed to keep users swiping and encourage them to purchase premium features, Koffeeyap stays out of your business once the match is complete. 

Tiwari started by putting a waitlist on Reddit “just to see what happens.” After 100 signups, he decided it was time to start developing the project. Four weeks ensued of making the base product, along with then adjusting later bug fixes. 

How it works

Applicants are asked questions of demographic, interests, and even what their TikTok algorithm looks like to find the best match. 

The platform then uses a human-in-the-loop system, meaning that a real person always decides the final match. Finally, the two individuals meet up at a local cafe and engage in an approximately one hour conversation.

The twist is that users do not see a picture of the person they are going to meet. Even the name of the other person is only revealed an hour before the planned meet-up. 

Koffeeyap partners up with local coffeeshops because of the specific culture cafes have, and to increase the amount of customers coming into these cafes.

There’s also a “really big history behind coffee.” Tiwari explained how many ideas, inventions, and even financial systems in the United Kingdom were discussed in penny coffee shops in the 17th and 18th centuries. Individuals would pay a penny and sit beside others and discuss ideas and opinions. 

This history makes Koffeyap the perfect platform for creating new friendships.

Positive feedback and responses

As for who the demographic is, Koffeeyap is open to all. It focuses on targeting specific communities at U of A, MacEwan, NAIT, and even works with local churches so parishioners can make new friends.

Tiwari encourages users to ask for one another’s socials to continue to stay in touch. However, Koffeeyap takes a step back and leaves it up to the two individuals to decide what to do next. 

Overall, the platform has garnered a lot of success. 

“I’d say you hit the mark with this match,” said one user. Another noted how the interaction was “less awkward” due to the busy environment of the cafe. 

Next, Tiwari hopes to ramp up the marketing aspect so Koffeeyap can reach a bigger audience.