Skip to content

Student launches site to match flatmates using AI

Bea Swallow
BBC News, Bristol
Handout Daniel Virin wearing a grey striped jumper and holding a certificate for the Innovation Outstanding PLUS awards. He is standing in front of a University of Bristol sign, which is nestled among bushes and white flowers. He has dark curly hair and is smiling at the camera.Handout
Daniel Virin was awarded funding from his university to launch the website

A student who struggled to find appropriate housing has launched a website which matches university flatmates together using artificial intelligence (AI).

Daniel Virin, 22, had the idea for Cribster in 2022 after battling with the "stress and challenges" of the competitive student housing market in Bristol.

The University of Bristol student designed an algorithm to match like-minded users based on their budget, location preferences, values, hobbies and habits.

It aims to make better use of available housing stock by creating compatible groups, filling empty rooms, and reducing pressure on student lettings.

Shriya Pillay, also a University of Bristol student, says the housing crisis in the city leaves students feeling pressure to secure accommodation before term has barely begun.

"I remember starting to look for housing and flatmates just a couple of months into my first year at university," she said.

Handout Shriya Pillay wearing a black sweatshirt and smiling at the camera. She has long dark hair which is slightly lighter at the ends. She is standing on a pavement outside, with a house visible in the background. It is a sunny day and the sky is a bright blue.Handout
Ms Pillay says "finding flatmates can be half the struggle" of house hunting

"Many people seem to choose to live with their first year flatmates, but I knew pretty early on that we were all going our separate ways, so I had to figure out who I was going to live with."

Ms Pillay turned to social media to find strangers in a similar position, but said she worried about stumbling into one of the "housing horror stories" she had heard of.

"I've had friends who would be stressed just to go into their kitchen and make food because they felt so uncomfortable around their flatmates," she said.

"Something like that can have big repercussions in other areas of your life. They're the people you see every day."

Daniel Virin wearing a grey striped jumper and black Apple watch. He is sitting beside a desk with his arms folded and is smiling at the camera. There are two screens in front of him, the one on the left shows a mock up of how the orange-themed website looks on a phone. The right screen shows a coding database for designing the site.
Mr Virin is designing a Cribster app with the help of his engineer twin brother, Asher

Mr Virin agreed a student's living situation can "make or break" their university experience.

"Your home is supposed to be that safe space where you feel comfortable and can get away from the stress and anxiety of university," he said.

"But the rush to secure housing results in signing for poor-quality properties or settling for flatmates who aren't a good fit, often causing tension and disputes.

"Freshers who are just settling into university life are thrown into this stressful process before they've even built friendships."

Mr Virin added a sense of desperation leaves many students "vulnerable to scams and harassment on existing platforms not tailored for students".

Handout A group photo taken in a living room on a disposable film camera. It shows four male students, dressed in various costumes for Halloween. The man standing on the middle right is Jovan Navjee who used the Cribster site to find his housemates, who are standing alongside him.Handout
Jovan Navjee (middle right) found three of his now-best friends (pictured) through the website

Jovan Navjee found success on the site after he formed "genuine and lasting friendships" with the three people suggested by the AI algorithm.

"Since moving in we've really clicked, and having the right flatmates has made a huge difference in my overall university experience," he said.

Mr Virin's project was recently granted £4,500 by the University of Bristol, as part of the Jim and Peggy Wilkinson Awards and the Development Stage competition.

He is now designing a Cribster app with the help of his twin brother Asher Virin, who is an engineer.

Daniel Virin wearing dark green chinos and a light green sweatshirt. He has dark brown hair and is shaking the hand of a woman in front of him. She is wearing blue jeans, a patterned top and a blue linen blazer. She has short blonde hair and is facing away from the camera. They are both standing in stage in front of a black curtain as Mr Virin is given his award.
Mr Virin received an Outstanding Plus Award for "demonstrating innovative and solution-focused entrepreneurship"

Mark Neild, associate professor in innovation and entrepreneurship, said Mr Virin "made a compelling case" for the value and need of a product like Cribster.

Mr Virin also received an Outstanding Plus Award in 2024 as winner of the Innovation category, for tackling a "critical element of student wellbeing".

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

More on this story
Related Internet Links