Hobnobbing with Oliver Carew from DRNK?

So, what does DRNK? do?

We describe DRNK? as a 'spontaneous socialising' app. It finds nearby users who are out-and-about and up for meeting for drinks and fun. It makes it super simple to instantly meet new people, and you can use it as an individual or in a group with any of your Facebook friends.

What’s behind the business idea?

Well we all love meeting new people, right? It's the starting point for incredible experiences, friendships and romances. But it can be difficult. You might be too scared to make an approach, or there might just not be anyone directly around you that seems like your kind of person. We think that's such a shame - just think of all the experiences you could be missing out on! DRNK? overcomes these challenges and delivers a simple solution to meeting people in the moment.

Was there a breakthrough moment?

There was... my co-founder, Alex, came up with the initial idea when she was in Madrid. After a guy stood her up (don’t tell her I told you!), she needed a simple way to meet the fun people around her. Every cloud...

How is the company doing?

Things are looking great! We’re currently raising our Seed round of investment and are set to launch in London very soon. We’re incredibly excited about the next few months.

Do you have any regrets?

I’ve got no time to regret things! Seriously, though I work with great people on a great product. There’s not much to regret about that.

What makes you stand out from your competitors?

Our main competitors are dating and meet-up apps, but we're very different to both of those. Both are focused on planning ahead, be that for a date or an event. We're all about being spontaneous - finding new people to socialise with, right there in the moment. That's what really sets us apart.

What is your definition of a positive customer experience?

I guess the cliché is one that makes the user think that they can’t live without our app. Really, though we want our app to enable people to enjoy meaningful, real life experiences - that's pretty rare for a 'social' app these days.

You are currently reaching out for investors, what do you plan to do once you have raised the funding?

We’re raising £75k to launch the app in London, so once we’ve raised the money we’ll be focusing on executing our launch strategy, getting a swell of initial users, and iterating the app to improve user experience. We’ll simultaneously be approaching investors to raise our Seed+ round. Oh, and developing the Android version of the app. Should be a pretty quiet few months!

What advice would you give yourself now if you were starting a business?

Don’t worry about other people finding out about your idea. Worry about them not finding out!

Finally, Oliver what is your favourite biscuit?

Hmm, diabetics aren’t supposed to have favourite biscuits! Chocolate Hobnob :D

Kareema