With the fast-changing connected world, computer science is a crucial area for future careers all around the world. The world has become more digitalized and more reliant on technology. The proliferation of technology and the future based on it has shifted the focus of many students to pursue their education in computer science. In recent decades, computer science has been the most popular course among students. The high demand for computer professionals and limited supply significantly increases their value. Career prospects are good for computer science graduates with a good score since they are in demand. Many students choose to study further to hone their skills in computer science. Through further study at an advanced level, students can acquire essential critical skills while developing the habit of questioning and conceptualizing new and innovative ideas. The skills and expertise then spill over into the workplace or on their journey as entrepreneurs.
Computer science is prominent in every business, and specialists are in high demand in all fields. Computer science students are needed to create, develop, and apply problem-solving to develop software and hardware where it is employed in the real world in all aspects of people's lives and industries.
Speaking of computer science and its scope, the co-founder of Unibuddy, Kimeshan Naidoo too went on the pursuit of a computer science degree, which in return started his entrepreneurial journey. Born in Tongaat, South Africa, Naidoo spent his early life in this small sugarcane farming town on the east coast of South Africa before he moved to the United Kingdom for a master's in computer sciences at University College London in 2015. He was fascinated by computers and programming since the age of 13. He loved developing new tools by utilizing coding and software.
He and his Unibuddy co-founder Diego Fanara traveled to London from two different countries and had no idea what to expect. The two former classmates met for coffee to discuss a concept that struck a chord with Kimeshan, who had lived through the situation they were attempting to fix when he moved to London. They decided to push forward and create a platform with chat features that allowed high school or prospective university students to communicate with present students at a certain higher education institution. Naidoo created the initial version as part of his dissertation study. However, Unibuddy has evolved since then due to numerous changes.
Eventually, the idea was to find a product that students truly needed. Naidoo understood the initial challenges prospective students face because he experienced the same predicament and dilemmas as a student. Naidoo envisions a world where the important decisions of life are never taken alone. He started Unibuddy as a student-oriented platform but aims to help anyone make important life decisions like a job switch or moving to a new city. Due to their relentless efforts, Kimeshan Naidoo and Diego Fanara were inducted into Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2020 and Unibuddy has had close to 2 million students use its platform.
As a foreign student, Naidoo needed a Graduate Entrepreneur Visa to work full-time on his Unibuddy startup. Upon pitching the idea of Unibuddy to UCL, they sponsored his visa and he proceeded with his journey in the United Kingdom. Kimeshan and Diego were also sponsored by UCL Innovation & Enterprise at BaseKX, UCL's entrepreneurial hub, between 2016 and 2017. They were given free professional guidance as well as office space. They then moved to IDEALondon, UCL's leading tech hub that helps emerging businesses flourish. Unibuddy secured $20 million in a round B investment led by Highland Europe in 2021, with participation from Stride. VC. Naidoo gave back to UCL as part of its mentor network at BaseKX, where he interacted with emerging entrepreneurs and shared his journey.
Unibuddy is an important tool to Naidoo since it democratizes access to higher education. Unibuddy connects prospective students in villages in India and favelas in Brazil with existing students at major colleges such as UCL and Cambridge. It empowers people to have access to this exclusive information and to dream big. The popularity of the Unibuddy platform demonstrates it as a vital tool for both UK and international students preparing for higher education.
In a nutshell, Naidoo has come a long way to where he has reached today. For somebody to come from a small farming town in South Africa to the United Kingdom, Naidoo has paved his way and made room for himself in the tech world. Kimeshan Naidoo ascended the hierarchy of success while pitching an idea that can potentially change the landscape of the educational and corporate sectors around the world.
