CLUSTERFLUNK: $1 million to Iowa City-based clusterFlunk in a funding round led by Lightbank and Built By Iowa, ChicagoInno reports. The startup was founded in January 2013 by university students frustrated by the lack of access to classmates in large, impersonal lecture courses. The online hub offers opportunities for students to share notes, socialize, sublease apartments and more. “We see our platform as Blackboard meets Facebook meets Craigslist,” explains founder AJ Nelson.
As its name might suggest, the startup takes the bro-speak marketing to another level, with call to actions like “LET’S #FLUNK IOWA CITY.” But with over 65% users reporting better grades, University of Iowa professors may appreciate the irony of the name.
ClusterFlunk will now open a branch out of Lightbank’s offices in Chicago. The platform has also expanded to 12 other universities and may soon be coming to a campus near you.
