Penn students found two startup apps to promote item exchanges between students on college campuses

Penn students have created two new startup apps to promote the easy and convenient exchange of items between students on college campuses. 

The two apps — agora and Need That — aim to redefine how students buy, sell, and trade items within their immediate communities and are aiming to break into the Penn community. Agora was developed to address the inefficiencies in existing online marketplaces, and Need That intends to prioritize convenience and community for college students. 

Wharton and Engineering sophomore Meha Gaba and Wharton sophomore Yochi Hobson, the founders of agora, said that sustainability was one of their motivating factors for creating the app. 

“I believe that one of the ways we’re going to see the planet improve is by reducing our consumption, and I saw a huge opportunity for an app like agora,” Gaba told The Daily Pennsylvanian. 

The app consolidates listings and removes shipping fees, offering students a streamlined and cost-effective way to engage in transactions. The two founders said that the app maintains security by ensuring that users can only interact with people on the same campus as them. 

“It won’t be people from Drexel and Penn selling to each other,” Hobson said. “Drexel would have their own agora, Penn would have their own agora.” 

The campus-specific model aims to foster a sense of community and safety and assure students they are interacting exclusively with their peers, the founders said, adding that their quality control measures also aim to ensure that the platform remains trustworthy and students can use it without fear of fraudulent activity. 

“We definitely want to see everyone on campus with an agora account and sales happening left and right,” Gaba said. “But eventually, more long term, we would love to see agora on every campus in the country.” 

Need That, which launched on Nov. 10, was founded by Wharton first year Patrick Sippel, College first year Allan Elson, and Lehigh University first year Lorcan Cheng. Similar to agora, the platform allows users to buy and sell items — however, it also lets users borrow and request items. 

“It’s all about making the necessities accessible right when you need them,” Cheng told the DP, adding that this vision aims to eliminate the unpredictability and safety concerns often associated with larger platforms. 

Elson said that, while they "hope to start [the app] at Penn," they do not imagine it being limited to the University. 

“So, for example, I’ve had a couple friends from WashU, Middlebury, Colgate, all giving feedback on the beta version of the app, just so we can make sure everyone’s feedback is involved and accounted for,” Elson said. 

The founders emphasized that attracting users relies on creating a platform that resonates with the student lifestyle and fulfills students' needs — and said that continuous user feedback is shaping each new iteration of the app. 

Agora and Need That will operate in the same market of buying and selling highly localized goods at Penn. 

"Once the app comes out, we think people will gravitate towards a platform where they could trust the people behind it," Elson said.