An app for nightlife reviews

Entrepreneurship knows no age limits. Yannick Bloem and Danil Ivanov, two Bachelor’s students in computer science, launched a free app called Infinight that has caught the eye of clubbers near and far. It’s like TripAdvisor – the highly popular website that lists and reviews hotels and tourist destinations – but with a focus on nightlife. “We saw that nothing like this existed and that people often stick to their regular haunts,” said Bloem. “With our app, they can find new places, either where they live or while traveling.”

From Lausanne to Berlin

In early 2016, the students developed an iPhone version that focused on the Geneva region. It was an immediate hit, with more than 7,000 downloads. Encouraged, the students came up with an Android version, which they expanded to include the rest of Switzerland and then all of Europe.

Infinight has already been downloaded more than 10,000 times. It lists bars, clubs and music festivals in 40 European capitals and other large cities together with several hundred smaller towns. “We have 300 listings for Geneva and Lausanne alone, which is more than 95% of the market,” said the students.

Good for business

Users can rate each of the 2,000 businesses listed and even add photos and comments. The bars and clubs play their part too. “There’s a lot of competition when it comes to nightlife, so they are really keen on any kind of advertising, even with reviews and comments. It’s win-win for everyone,” said Bloem.

The app can be downloaded free of charge, and businesses don’t have to pay to be listed. The students, who are now part of a five-person team, hope to eventually monetize their app through special offers, just like TripAdvisor does.

For more information, see http://www.infinight.org or click here to download the app.