Five months after it launched its iOS app, Toronto-based startup Uniiverse has launched its Android app today, according to CEO Craig Follett.
Uniiverse is the Toronto-based “eBay for activities”. Its a social marketplace for real life experiences, or an online p2p marketplace for offline services and activities.
“We noticed that iOS app users were logging in to Uniiverse 10 times more often than web users, so we wanted to double down on mobile,” Follett told BetaKit. “We’re very excited to launch the Uniiverse Android app – mobile is a big part of our strategy for 2014.”
Indeed, the CEO said they found mobile users to be “exceptionally engaged”, and the “10 times more than web” number continues to grow.
Launched in early 2011, the company created a social, local marketplace to allow its users to discover what people nearby are doing and offering. Over 26,000 local event organizers and service providers use the online marketplace. These users offer a broad variety of activities and services, including food events, craft workshops, music lessons, pet sitting, bikes to borrow, and yoga sessions. Developers at the company have previously built apps such as Tumblr and Readability.
“Discovering events and making plans for what to do is inherently suited to mobile,” said Follett. “In today’s fast paced world, people make their plans on the fly, expect to see events that are nearby, and want this at their fingertips in the form of an app. Convenience is a big factor: if you store your credit card information in the app, you can purchase your tickets next time with a single tap.”
According to the company, the Android app’s event experience is highly personalized. Similar to Netflix for movies or Amazon for books, Uniiverse recommends events based on what users like, what their friends are doing, what’s nearby, and over 30 other “signals”. “This custom recommendation algorithm is built on top of Facebook, Twitter and Google social graphs, making everyone’s experience unique,” the company said.
