Joiner, a global social platform founded in 2022 by Eduard Titov and Jūratė Plungytė, combines digital interaction with real-life engagement, appealing to users seeking deeper relationships. In June 2024, the startup raised over €500,000 from Lithuanian angels, marketing advisors and co-investors from Ogilvy Vilnius.
In the Startup of the Day column, Joiner App’s team shares more details about the startup’s idea, its product, and future plans.
The Startup of the Day column on AIN is dedicated to tech projects from all sectors that originate from the CEE countries. If you would like to introduce your project, please fill in the questionnaire.
Eduart Titov and Jūratė Plungytė. Image: Joiner App
Tell us about your startup. How does it work?
Joiner App is an innovative social platform designed to help people connect and socialize based on shared interests, creating meaningful interactions both online and offline. Unlike typical social apps that focus solely on virtual communication, Joiner fosters real-world connections by organizing events and gatherings where users can meet in person. With a user-friendly interface and powerful algorithms, it matches individuals with common hobbies, professions, and passions, making it easy to form genuine bonds. The app is currently experiencing strong growth, supported by a team with backgrounds in successful startups like Uber, Tinder, EPAM, and TransferGo, and its unique approach has attracted attention from over 50 media outlets globally.
How did you come up with the startup’s idea? What was the reason/motivation behind it?
The idea of the “Joiner App” was born by Lithuanian entrepreneur Eduard Titov in the midst of a pandemic. During the quarantine, he was stuck abroad, without friends and family. Out of boredom and desperation, he tried using Tinder to find friends, but quickly realized the platform wasn't living up to expectations. He wanted deep conversations and genuine connections, he wanted to find like-minded people, even if only for a short period of time. That's when the idea to create a platform for real meetings by interests arose. Eduard drew the first UX on paper, and after returning to Lithuania, quickly gathered a team of cofounders ready to bring the idea to life. Even MVP became popular among the closed circle of Lithuanians - people after quarantine really wanted live communication.
How long did it take to reach the prototype or MVP? What did you encounter?
Close to a year.
When exactly did you launch your product? Or when the launch is planned?
Our startup has launched its app in April 2024.
Tell us about the stratup’s business model. How do you monetize your product?
It's not monetized yet, we will talk about a monetization after two years from now. We are growing user base and for now that app is completely FREE.
What are your target markets and consumers?
Expats and not only. Expats is the group that needs our app the most. They feel lonely coming to a new country. We also target local people - aged 21-34, longing for meaningful connections. Our target markets for Joiner App include regions with a high demand for social connectivity, such as urban areas in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, where people are looking for meaningful interactions beyond traditional social media. These regions are often characterized by fast-paced lifestyles, where individuals seek opportunities to connect with like-minded people through both online and offline experiences.
If the startup has already launched the product, what are the results: metrics, income, or any clear indicators that can be evaluated.
30 000 users from zero in 4 months with barely any marketing budget!
What about your team? How many people are working in the startup? If you’re looking for new employees, indicate whom exactly.
We have a lean team of people with backgrounds in successful startups like Uber, Tinder, EPAM, and TransferGo, backed by advisors of Ogilvy and strong Lithuanian enterprise players. Attracted money from angel investors. We have 6 full-timers, and also some contractors.
Have you already raised any investments? Provide us with more details on each funding round: the amount, investors, the purpose of the investment.
Yes, from angel investors - 0.5 million [euro — ed.].
What's next? Tell us about your future plans.
This autumn, we are launching USA market and going global. We are also planning to raise money for that. “Joiner App” aims to become a global platform connecting people from around the world. By focusing on creating a user-friendly and intuitive interface, Joiner App offers users unique opportunities for communication and interaction, including themed communities, group events and tools for sharing experiences.
The platform actively uses machine learning algorithms to personalize recommendations and improve the quality of interactions, allowing users to find like-minded people and build useful connections. We are going to add some amazing features soon, stay tuned!
