Startup Of The Week: Joiner

  • Joiner is a social platform helping expats and those new to a city make real-life friends through in-person activities and events.
  • People use the Joiner app to discover nearby gatherings, bringing together like-minded people who might not have otherwise met.
  • Joiner’s events are casual and pressure-free environments where any kind of connection can happen organically.

 

Website: getjoiner.com

 

 

What is Joiner?

 

Joiner is a social platform designed to help people get together and make friends at curated activities and events. Users can find local gatherings and even host their own events on the platform.

Since Joiner launched in Vilnius in 2023, 40,000+ users have attended and hosted over 11,000 events. Event organisers and businesses regularly partner with Joiner to reach new audiences and host parties and gatherings. For expats and travellers, Joiner is the place to find something to do. 

Backed by €1.2 million in angel investment, Joiner is currently expanding into Prague, Lisbon, and Málaga.

 

“Joiner was born out of the belief that the cure for loneliness is as simple as getting people together. Dating apps weren’t working on fixing the loneliness epidemic, so we decided to create an app that would. People want to get together, but they want to do it in bigger groups and without the awkwardness of app dates. We made a platform anyone can use to find an event or party where connections happen naturally.”

– Jurate Plungyte, Co-Founder and CMO of Joiner

 

 

What Makes Joiner Unique?

 

A super diverse range of events and a true emphasis on community are part and parcel of what makes Joiner unique.

People find each other through shared interests, with activities spanning everything from run clubs to bar crawls to tech meetups to car shows. Joiner makes it easy and fun for people to leave their bedrooms and hang out together, even if they don’t know anyone in that city.

The app is free to use and events are pressure-free and open-ended. Any kind of connection can happen at a Joiner event – and often does.

 

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Is There A Market For Joiner?

 

The market for Joiner is big and growing, encompassing travellers, expats, locals, and anyone who is done with dating apps but still wants to meet new friends. The expat market alone is huge, with an estimated 7.4 million EU citizens over 15 living and working in other EU countries, and many of whom naturally look for new social circles in unfamiliar cities.

Joiner fills a growing demand for social connection. Across the EU, 57% of young adults report feeling moderately or strongly lonely. Traditional dating apps are failing to meet these broader social needs, and young people’s disillusionment with dating apps is already well-documented. One survey found that 79% of Gen Z have given up dating apps in favour of meeting people in-person. The intensity of dating app fatigue makes this group open to alternatives that are event‑based rather than matching- and swiping‑oriented.

Young people are already used to using their phones to find connections, so Joiner’s app meets them where they are. The app is free to use and takes an all-in-one approach, with in-platform messaging and ticketing features. People already want to make friends and attend fun gatherings, so Joiner makes it easy to do that. Their community’s genuine desire for connection takes care of the rest.

 

Where Can You Find Joiner?

 

Joiner community and events are accessible through the Joiner app, which is available on Google Play and the App Store.