UNiDAYS
UNiDAYS is the world's leading student-identity platform, verifying 23-29 million students across 115 markets and connecting them with 800+ global brand partners for discounts, sampling, and embedded verification on Apple, Instagram, and TikTok.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersNottingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What UNiDAYS does
UNiDAYS is the world's largest student-identity and affinity platform, operating a two-sided B2B2C marketplace that connects 23-29 million verified students across 115 markets with over 800 brand partners including Apple, Amazon, Nike, Samsung, Microsoft, YSL Beauté, and Zalando. The company's core technology, UNiDAYS iD, verifies academic status through institutional portals or document uploads with instant or 24-hour manual review, and is also embedded into third-party platforms such as Apple Education Stores, Instagram school-affiliation profiles, and TikTok classmate-discovery features.
The product suite comprises four components: UNiDAYS iD (the digital identity layer), the UNiDAYS Marketplace (the discount and discovery platform), Learning & Employability resources (on-platform study and career tools), and Gen Z Insights (a B2B subscription research sub-brand). Revenue is generated through marketplace commissions and brand-partnership fees paid by enterprises for access to the student affinity network, with adjacent verification-as-a-service revenue from partners such as Apple. The consumer-facing membership is free for verified students.
UNiDAYS was founded in 2011 in Nottingham, UK, and is led by Co-Founder & CEO Jon Hawley. It operates from offices in Nottingham (HQ), London, New York, Sydney, and Pune under the legal entity Myunidays Limited, with subsidiaries Unidays Inc. (US) and UNiDAYS Private Limited (India). The 2022 acquisition of Student Identify strengthened verification infrastructure, and the company has continued to expand via platform-level partnerships with major consumer internet companies.
UNiDAYS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- UNiDAYS
- Legal name
- Myunidays Limited
- Website
- https://corporate.myunidays.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- UNiDAYS is the world's leading student-identity platform, verifying 23-29 million students across 115 markets and connecting them with 800+ global brand partners for discounts, sampling, and embedded verification on Apple, Instagram, and TikTok.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
UNiDAYS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Student Affinity Network / Identity Verification
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Transcript, Score Reporting & Verification/Credential Wallet Platforms (EDAFADAO)
Keywords
Where UNiDAYS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nottingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
UNiDAYS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Marketplace Commission / Brand Partnership Fees: UNiDAYS provides brands with access to its Student Affinity Network of 23M+ verified members across 115 markets. Brands pay for inclusion in the marketplace and access to student spending power, generating GMV growth and lifetime affinity with future generations.
- Student Subscription Verification (Apple Music Partnership): UNiDAYS verifies student eligibility for third-party partner subscription services (e.g., Apple Music student discount at $5.99/month), with annual re-verification requirements, supporting partners' discounted student offerings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Student membership (free for verified students) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
UNiDAYS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UNiDAYS operates a Student Affinity Network combining a digital identity verification platform (UNiDAYS iD) with a marketplace of 800+ global brand partners offering student discounts. Brands pay for inclusion, verification services, and access to 23-29M verified student members across 115 markets, while students receive exclusive discounts from Apple, Amazon, Nike, Samsung, Microsoft, and others through the UNiDAYS app and website.
Product overview
UNiDAYS is the world's largest Student Identity Platform (founded 2011), operating as a unified platform combining three core offerings: (1) UNiDAYS iD — a digital identity and verification solution that confirms student academic status through institutional email or ID verification and empowers individuals to control their data; (2) the UNiDAYS Marketplace — a Student Affinity Network with over 800 brand partners (including Apple, Amazon, Nike, Samsung, Microsoft) offering exclusive student discounts, driving low-cost customer acquisition and GMV growth for brands; and (3) Learning & Employability features — study resources and personal development tools delivered on-platform and through strategic partnerships to enhance student grades and career prospects. An additional sub-brand, Gen Z Insights, provides B2B market research and newsletters on Gen Z consumer trends to brand partners. The platform serves 29 million verified members across 115 markets, providing brands access to Gen Z spending power exceeding $150bn in the US alone.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Gen Z Insights: Business-to-Business marketing website providing subscription-based newsletter with latest marketing insights and retail trends about students for UNiDAYS partners.
Products and services
- UNiDAYS iD Digital identity solution that verifies student academic status via institutional email or ID upload, enabling students, graduates and young professionals to verify, manage, and benefit from their data across retail, digital services, and platforms.
- UNiDAYS Marketplace The world's leading Student Affinity Network providing exclusive student discounts from 800+ brand partners including Apple, Amazon, Nike, Samsung, Microsoft, Adidas, ASOS, H&M, JD Sports, and American Eagle; drives low-cost customer acquisition and GMV growth for brands.
- Gen Z Insights B2B subscription-based newsletter and research platform delivering the latest Gen Z marketing insights, retail trends, and student consumer behaviour research to UNiDAYS brand partners and prospective enterprise customers.
Quantifiable outcome
- YSL Beauté fragrance sampling campaign drove +488% increase in brand engagements for UNiDAYS student members
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use UNiDAYS
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
UNiDAYS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
UNiDAYS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- ApplecoreUNiDAYS provides student verification for Apple's global Education Store, enabling students, teachers, and homeschool educators in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, and Turkey to verify academic status before accessing education discounts (up to 16% on products like MacBook Neo, and 10% off Apple Watch for the first time). Apple previously attempted verification in January 2022 but rolled it back within two days due to system issues.
- Canopy CommunityminorUNiDAYS launched a UK Student Startup Accelerator in partnership with Canopy Community and StudentVenture. The six-week program supports UK-based students and recent graduates, with applications open until January 4, 2026 and Pitch Day on April 17, 2026. Up to 100 participants expected in first cohort, with 10 finalists presenting to investors including entrepreneur Simon Squibb.
- StudentVentureminorUNiDAYS launched a UK Student Startup Accelerator in partnership with Canopy Community and StudentVenture. The six-week program supports UK-based students and recent graduates with workshops, mentorship, and practical outputs to help founders validate concepts and prepare for investment.
- DeliveroocoreDeliveroo partnered with UNiDAYS to offer students free delivery through Deliveroo Students. UK and Ireland students receive 3 years of free delivery (orders over £15 at restaurants, £25 at shops). France gets 1 year free, and Italy launched at end of October. Executives from both companies highlighted strategic value of connecting with students.
- Instagram (Meta)flagshipUNiDAYS powers Instagram's new school affiliation feature for US college students. Students with institution-verified emails can display their school on Instagram profiles, fostering authentic peer connections. Up to 18 million US students can access this feature, powered by UNiDAYS verification. UNiDAYS CEO Jon Hawley stated the partnership 'champions digital trust and social connection.'
- StudentVenture (Student Beauty Shadow Board)minorUNiDAYS, British Beauty Council, and Sephora UK announced winners of a Student Beauty Shadow Board initiative, supporting emerging talent in the beauty industry.
- TikTokcoreTikTok's feature allowing college students to find and connect with classmates is powered by UNiDAYS verification technology. This extends UNiDAYS iD beyond its own marketplace into TikTok's social platform, enabling trusted classmate discovery for students.
- Paddy PowerminorAs part of the NFL's international expansion strategy, Paddy Power partnered with UNiDAYS in the UK and Ireland to reach student audiences. This is one of multiple regional NFL deals in different markets (Spain with Bwin, Brazil with Jack Daniel's, Australia with Tapcorp).
- ZalandocoreZalando launched its first-ever Europe-wide student discount program in partnership with UNiDAYS (November 2024). The partnership gives students across Europe access to Zalando fashion products at discounted rates, powered by UNiDAYS student verification.
- SoPostminorUNiDAYS partnered with SoPost to launch an exclusive product sampling community for UNiDAYS student members. This partnership enables brands to distribute product samples to verified students through SoPost's sampling platform, integrated within the UNiDAYS ecosystem.
- XiaomicoreXiaomi partnered with UNiDAYS to reach Gen Z student market in India. In just two weeks, Xiaomi achieved over 30,000 direct student engagements and 16,000+ discount codes downloaded, with average order value of 22,000 INR. Xiaomi rose to top 5 UNiDAYS brands in India within its first month. UNiDAYS developed a multi-channel campaign including online/in-store verification, marketing solutions, and training for 500+ in-store managers.
- YSL BeautécoreUNiDAYS and SoPost partnered with YSL Beauté for a fragrance sampling campaign. The campaign drove +488% increase in brand engagements for YSL Beauté among UNiDAYS members. YSL Beauté was pleased that UNiDAYS members recommended the product and could be retargeted with student-exclusive offers.
- The Fragrance ShopcoreThe Fragrance Shop partnered with UNiDAYS to win the student audience, achieving +124% TOV (Transaction of Value) growth from 2020 to 2022. The partnership included a strategic marketing campaign that spoke directly to Gen Z consumers, helping The Fragrance Shop compete effectively post-pandemic.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
UNiDAYS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Student Beans: Student Beans is a UK-founded student affinity network and verification platform with a comparable marketplace model, partnering with brands to deliver exclusive student discounts. It is UNiDAYS' closest direct competitor in the student identity + brand discount space.
- SheerID: SheerID is a leading identity-verification platform specializing in student, military, teacher, and other consumer-segment verifications for brands. It competes with UNiDAYS iD on the verification layer serving enterprise customers like Apple and global brands.
Broad incumbents
- ID.me: ID.me is a large-scale digital identity network providing verified login, group affiliation, and discount eligibility services across consumer and government markets. It is a broader incumbent in identity verification, with student verification as one of several verticals.
- National Student Clearinghouse: National Student Clearinghouse is an established US-based nonprofit provider of educational verification, enrollment, and degree-completion data services. It is a broader incumbent in student-status verification, primarily serving institutional and employer clients.
- Rakuten (cashback and affiliate): Rakuten operates a global cashback and affiliate marketing network serving consumers and brands. It is a broader incumbent in performance-based brand-to-consumer marketing, comparable to UNiDAYS' marketplace commission model but without student-specific verification.
- Honey (PayPal): Honey (owned by PayPal) is a coupon, cashback, and rewards browser/mobile platform. It is a broader incumbent in consumer discount and brand-affiliate marketing, comparable to UNiDAYS Marketplace on the consumer side, but without identity verification or student affinity.
Emerging players
- Parchment: Parchment (Instructure) operates a credential and transcript verification platform primarily serving higher education institutions. It overlaps with UNiDAYS iD on the academic credential-verification layer, though UNiDAYS focuses on the consumer-facing student identity use case rather than institutional records.
- Forage: Forage is a free career-experience platform that verifies student status to deliver virtual job simulations, employer programs, and learning content. It overlaps with UNiDAYS on student verification and on serving the student-to-employer pipeline, but with a learning/experiences focus rather than discounts.
- Graduway: Graduway operates alumni and student community platforms for universities and schools, with verification and engagement functionality that overlaps with parts of UNiDAYS' network and identity offerings.
- Stack Commerce: Stack Commerce is a content-driven commerce platform that partners with publishers and brands to run native shopping experiences and discounts. It overlaps with UNiDAYS on the brand-discovery and exclusive-offer distribution model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
UNiDAYS social profiles
Digital presenceUNiDAYS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
UNiDAYS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
UNiDAYS subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
UNiDAYS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
UNiDAYS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about UNiDAYS
What does UNiDAYS do?
UNiDAYS operates a Student Affinity Network combining a digital identity verification platform (UNiDAYS iD) with a marketplace of 800+ global brand partners offering student discounts. Brands pay for inclusion, verification services, and access to 23-29M verified student members across 115 markets, while students receive exclusive discounts from Apple, Amazon, Nike, Samsung, Microsoft, and others through the UNiDAYS app and website.
Is UNiDAYS a public or private company?
UNiDAYS is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was UNiDAYS founded?
UNiDAYS was founded in 2011. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is UNiDAYS based?
UNiDAYS is headquartered in Nottingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does UNiDAYS make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Marketplace Commission / Brand Partnership Fees are the primary driver. The others are student Subscription Verification (Apple Music Partnership).
Who are UNiDAYS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Student Beans and SheerID. Broad incumbents are ID.me, National Student Clearinghouse, Rakuten (cashback and affiliate) and Honey (PayPal). Emerging players are Parchment, Forage, Graduway and Stack Commerce.
Does UNiDAYS have an API?
No public API is recorded for UNiDAYS.
What industry is UNiDAYS in?
UNiDAYS's product category is Student Affinity Network / Identity Verification. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFADAO, Transcript, Score Reporting & Verification/Credential Wallet Platforms. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.