Osborne Clarke advises Highland Europe on its lead in Unibuddy's $20Million Series B round

International legal practice Osborne Clarke has advised Highland Europe on its lead in Unibuddy's $20Million Series B round. Unibuddy is the number one peer-to-peer university recruitment platform that has helped 770,000 students from over 180 countries make better decisions about their higher education journey. The Series B round was led by Highland Europe with additional participation from Stride.VC.

This round comes on the heels of a record-breaking year for Unibuddy that saw the company almost triple its revenues. Accelerated by the pandemic, interest in the peer-to-peer platform and its products soared. Unibuddy’s growth is also indicative of a larger trend, as the rate of digital adoption within higher education marketing has skyrocketed: 82% of institutions are either engaging in, exploring or working to develop a digital transformation strategy.

Unibuddy has provided a first-of-its-kind virtual window into the higher education experience for the digitally native Gen Z community. When exploring a university’s website, applicants from anywhere in the world can chat with existing students and staff in real-time about a variety of topics. Popular discussions on the platform center around fitting in, programs of study, employability upon graduation, student life, admissions requirements, and testing criteria. In 2020, the number of messages sent by college applicants via Unibuddy’s platform quadrupled compared to the prior year.

Unibuddy has partnered with 450+ higher education customers to help prospective students applying to college in 35 countries worldwide. By connecting student ambassadors and staff with university applicants, institutions can attract a larger and more diverse student population as well as significantly increase student enrollment. The 12 million messages exchanged on Unibuddy to date have provided universities with insights that inform their marketing strategies.

The Osborne Clarke team was comprised of Partner Rob Wood and Associate Josephine Healy.

Osborne Clarke’s Corporate team is a go-to practice for companies in the Tech, Media and Comms sector. Its clients range from global businesses to fast-growth start-ups and market challengers. The team advises at every stage of company development across all corporate issues, from equity and debt fundraisings to M&A, IPOs and JVs.