The Munich-based startup International Friends aims to help young expats find friends. The concept has been a success in Munich, and user numbers are steadily growing. Founder Tim Stöhr has lived in five different countries and knows from personal experience what young expats need. He answered seven questions for Munich Startup. The founder is convinced that failure is impossible.
1. Who are you and what do you do? Please introduce yourselves briefly!
We are Andrey, Toray and Tim, the developers behind the platform International Friends. We met, of course, through the International Friends network. Andrey (28) is a programmer from Ukraine, Toray (27) a statistician and programmer from Turkey. I, Tim (30), studied biology, but with my international background, I'm the strategist behind International Friends.
2. But that's been around for a long time!
No, that's not entirely true. Of course, there are competing offers, the most well-known being InternationalsHowever, we stand out significantly from our competitors because we primarily have younger and active members. Furthermore, we are accessible on all devices (Android, iPhone, iPad, website, etc.).
Another big difference is that our members don't have to pay anything. It's not without reason that we already have the largest network of internationals in Munich.
Take as an ingredient for success: close customer contact
3. What are the three main ingredients for your recipe for success?
- First ingredient: We're all international, meaning expats. We know how lonely it is to arrive here as a working foreigner.
- Second ingredient: We've built an efficient server platform that allows us to expand our offering and incorporate new features in a very short time. In particular, it enables expansion into new cities within minutes.
- Third ingredient: The community we already have in Munich always gives us new ideas and helps us to continue expanding the platform.
Monthly user growth of 10-20%
4. Let’s get down to business: How is business going?
It's going very well. We have approximately 160,000 visitors per month on the platform. Between 300 and 500 people participate in our events each month. The Android app has already been downloaded around 4,000 times.
We consistently record monthly user growth of 10,201,145,200. These figures refer only to Munich. Furthermore, we are already profitable. This allows us to invest in the further development of the startup and build significant momentum.
5. What does Munich mean to you?
Munich, with its strong international scene, is naturally perfect for our startup. There are many international companies that employ workers from abroad here in Munich.
Likewise, there are many internationals in the startup scene. A huge bonus is, of course, the Munich area, which is ideal for events, hikes, travel, sightseeing, etc.
“We can no longer fail”
6. How will your startup become the next unicorn? Or will we see you soon at Epic Fail Night?
There's a huge demand for a service like ours, which allows expats to get to know each other and their new city. The startup has grown solely through word of mouth.
We can't fail anymore. We already have the largest community of internationals in Munich and have proven the success of the concept. We are currently in the process of establishing the business in five additional cities, including Saigon, Vienna, and Berlin.
7. Isar or English Garden?
Definitely the Isar! Nothing is more beautiful than kicking off the barbecue season on the Isar.
