A “NERD” turned entrepreneur has designed an app to help students find friends to live with at University.

Takudzwa Gondo, 22, known as TK, grew up in Southend and attended St Helens Primary School and St Thomas High School for Boys.

Echo:

“Nerd” - Takudzwa Gondo, 22, known as TK, grew up in Southend and attended St Helens Primary School and St Thomas High School for Boys

But when he attended Canterbury Christ Church University, in Kent, he felt isolated.

In his second year, the incompatibility TK had with his housemates forced him to drop out and instead focus on a solution.

Now, as the founder and CEO of Polygon Students Ltd, he is about to release an app UK wide to help university students find like-minded colleagues to live with in house shares.

He said: “There were so many arguments, petty disputes and just tension between us. All my flatmates were football lads and I was just a nerd, I was isolated all the time.

“The fallout was stressful and expensive for me, so I became obsessed with finding a solution. I thought if I could help students find safe housing and compatible house mates, maybe they could avoid the stress I had.”

The app works by swiping left and right but rather than dates you are looking for housemates.

People are paired based on their domestic habits and personalities and the app is even launching in the US for West Virginia Wesleyan students.

TK said: “We built and launched our app with less than £2,000 of our own money. It will be available for students in every city across the UK at the end of the month.

“I got to go back to my old Southend schools and talk about my business, which was so strange when it didn’t feel long ago I was sitting and listening to speakers who would visit.”

Polygon Students Ltd is made up of a team of nine based worldwide, including Morocco, India, USA and Russia.

He added: “In the future I want Polygon to become global and cover all platforms for students.”

The app is available now.