Education funding company, Fundi has officially launched its new digital student accommodation platform. Connecting both students and universities to accommodation suppliers in a safe, secure and transparent way, the platform addresses ongoing demand and supply imbalances in the market.

It also seeks to redefine critical elements of the relationship between students, learning institutions and accommodation suppliers – creating new best practice for this growing sector.

With demand for student accommodation continuing to outstrip supply year-on-year, ownership of student properties has become a compelling financial opportunity for many.

The market remains largely unregulated however, with students often having to make alternative arrangements if they are unable to find accommodation through the university where they are registered. This has significant implications for all parties: affecting everything from pricing to accommodation quality and, critically, student safety and security.

“These were just some of the challenges and key sector insights that inspired the vision for Fundi’s new student accommodation platform,” explains Mala Suriah, CMO at Fundi. “As a brand built on providing solutions to the education sector and 100% invested in student success, we are intimately aware of the direct relationship between quality accommodation and student results.”

“This is why the provision of funding for accommodation has always been one of our core service offerings – extending well beyond assisting with tuition fees alone.”

“Given the current market realities of student accommodation and our in-house tech capability, our new platform is a natural extension of Fundi’s solutions offering. It not only speaks to this very real need but will also give greater visibility into the space going forward. This will ensure that we as the sector can collectively plan and manage better; essentially responding to trends in an informed and meaningful way.”

Featuring separate portals for students, universities and accommodation providers, the platform essentially connects an eco-system of partners including students; merchants; institutions and parents in a transparent and secure digital environment. It also allows for online viewings of accommodation residences.