Romanian edtech startup, Youni has raised €900,000. The startup helps students enter the world’s leading universities by facilitating the admissions process through AI technology. 

The AI-powered platform enables universities to connect with students efficiently by aligning with their mutual preferences. It provides comprehensive support to students in one place – helping them develop both personally and professionally and above all, preparing them to enter universities, such as Harvard University, the University of Cambridge or LSE. 

Each user creates a detailed profile listing their interests, goals, academic results and achievements. Based on this data, algorithms using AI then recommend suitable fields of study as well as the universities that provide them.

Students can use verified tutors to help them prepare for standardised tests such as the TOEFL, IELTS, A Levels/GCSE, SAT, or International Baccalaureate (AA/AI). They can also consult with education advisors, who provide valuable advice and guidance on their academic journey.

Powered by AI, the platform boasts a 100 percent acceptance rate for applicants and also benefits universities by allowing them to recruit quality candidates and streamline the work of the admissions teams. 

The platform has helped over 6,000 students get into their ideal university,  securing scholarships worth $52 million.

It also helps universities better plan admissions processes and allocate scholarships more efficiently.

The seed round of investments was led by Czech Accelerator and VC Company Soulmates Ventures, supporting the startup with €600,000, alongside Romanian Fund Early Game Ventures, which invested €300,000.

“Finding the right field of study and succeeding in entrance exams is often very difficult for students. They need comprehensive information, direction and support.

We consider using scalable and modern digital technologies for this purpose to be an excellent idea that has the potential to simplify students’ paths towards their ideal career path,” says Hynek Sochor, Founder and Managing Partner of Soulmates Ventures.

According to Andrei Nicolae, Founder and CEO of Youni: 

“When I was looking for a university, I didn’t really know which field of study was the most suitable for me. Additionally, at that time in Romania it was not possible to apply online to study at the university and all information was hidden on many different platforms, which was both time-consuming and mentally demanding for me. 

When I worked in education in Germany, I saw that local students also experienced similar difficulties, that’s why I decided to develop an intelligent platform that would offer a universal helping hand to all students.” 

Over the next year, the Youni team aims to help one million students get into their ideal university.

Lead image:  Andrei Nicolae, Founder and CEO of Youni. Photo: uncredited.

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