University of Exeter graduates launch new networking app

Two former University of Exeter students have today launched a professional matchmaking app designed to rival "traditional networking options”.

The Linktwos app, which is also available online, has been launched today, Monday, November 2 by co-founders and 2026 graduates Tom Hartley-Mills and Dan Price.

The service is understood to offer its users a simpler, more streamlined networking experience that “actually helps you meet the right person”.

Exeter Today sat down with Mr Hartley-Mills to learn more.

“Me and my co-founder Dan actually came up with the idea while at university in Exeter,” he said. “We met for the first time at a party and just spent the whole night talking. Dan had built an AI translation tool, and I ran a business organising music events in the city.

“We found each other’s stories and experiences interesting and just spent the whole party talking about AI and our business ideas. Literally the next day we started working on the idea that eventually became Linktwos.

“We just always knew we wanted to create something that helped connect people.”

It’s understood that Linktwos operates in two ways. It matches you with professionals, but also aims to help you navigate conferences.

“Linktwos is not a social media platform,” said Mr Hartley-Mills. “You simply just tell it what you want and what you’re looking for and it finds you the right person. Whether you’re looking for someone technical or a lawyer, it can find that for you.

“It also helps those running and attending events. Linktwos will allow attendees at a conference to see who’s in the room and who’s worth meeting.

“It’ll allow them to book meetings with those people before even turning up, and the organiser can use the app to run speed networking and breakout rooms - things like that.”

Linktwos’ “everyday” matchmaking process is powered by an AI chatbot called the “matchmaker”. The more you use the service, the more the matchmaker learns about your wants and needs, and should therefore provide you with better matches.

Both those offering services, such as bookkeeping or designing, and those in need of that expertise, are able to make use of the chatbot.

“You fill out your profile, either by uploading your CV or answering questions asked by the matchmaker, and then talk to it about what you’re looking for, what you need, or what you can offer,” said Mr Hartley-Mills.

“You can simply just type in your own words and it will find you someone based on their profiles and responses to the matchmaker.

“Once it sends over a connection request, you can choose to either connect with the person or skip them and explain why. The matchmaker will use this information to improve your matches in the future. It’s always learning.

“But, of course, it is two-way. No one can be contacted without the other person approving the connection as well.

“If someone’s offering something that can help somebody, and that somebody can also help them - that’s the kind of two-way matching we’re looking to facilitate.”

Mr Hartley-Mills said both him and Mr Price first noticed a ‘gap in the market’ after attending conferences themselves.

“You find yourself walking around and there’s no real inclination to go and talk to people,” he said. “I mean, you can, but you might get five minutes into a conversation with someone and neither of you know what to say.

“Being able to go to a conference or event knowing ahead of time that the people that are there are actually going to benefit you is what Linktwos is about.

“When you connect with a person on Linktwos it gives you an introductory line so you can say directly to someone something like ‘right, you’re working on this project, this is how I can help you’.”

He continued: “Our whole point is that we don’t want people to spend time researching and trying to find people who then just never reply.

“We want the app to be full of active people, people who are using it to find and network with others.

“The app is designed to find new people instead of just scrolling through a feed full of insights and articles. It’s purely about networking.”

Mr Hartley-Mills said they worked closely with the University of Exeter during the development of Linktwos.

“They helped point us in the direction we needed to go,” he said.

“We’ve partnered with multiple university societies as well as other student start-ups and tested the app with different societies before we launched.

“We’ve also been awarded grant funding from the University of Exeter alongside the King’s Trust and have gone through an accelerator with the university.”

Through Uniday’s Student Venture programme, the two graduates were named amongst one of the UK's top 100 start-ups in 2026.

Linktwos is available online or as an app on both Android and Apple devices from today, November 2.

It is understood the app is free to use, but paid standard and premium subscriptions offer users access to more matches.

You can learn more about the service, or sign up, here.