Last Thursday, in the station district, the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly – no doubt reflecting WeConnect’s ambition. Behind the growth of this Luxembourg start-up, the three partners – Ivo Silva, Clémentine Offner and Christian Gutenkauf – remain as determined as ever to tackle the shortage of student accommodation whilst fostering lasting human connections.
At first glance, it’s just a new logo. In reality, this marks a truly significant new milestone for WeConnect Luxembourg today. Three years after its creation, the social enterprise is adopting a more distinctive visual identity and a fully automated platform, designed to support its growth.
The difficulty of finding accommodation in Luxembourg
The idea, however, remains the same as that conceived by Clémentine Offner and Ivo Silva when they were students themselves. Faced with the difficulty of finding accommodation in Luxembourg, the two young people realised, at the same time, that there were many vacant rooms in private homes.
Out of this dual reality came WeConnect, a platform that connects students looking for affordable accommodation with people who have a spare room and are keen to share much more than just a roof over their heads. The two young entrepreneurs have teamed up with Christian Gutenkauf, an economist by training and a property professional. They first met several years ago, when he was coaching Clémentine’s team as part of a mini-company competition. The relationship, built on discussion and advice, continued until it gave rise to a genuine entrepreneurial venture involving the three of them.
“We share the same values despite our age difference,” says Christian Gutenkauf. This complementary relationship perfectly illustrates WeConnect’s philosophy: to foster dialogue between generations and show that everyone has something to offer one another.
A platform that automates the entire journey
The big change is the digital platform developed over the last few months. Students can now create their profiles, upload supporting documents, record a video introduction and apply directly to available hosts. The hosts review the profiles, communicate via an integrated messaging system, and then electronically sign the contracts automatically generated by the platform.
Payments, insurance, contracts and administrative follow-up are now largely automated. This is a major change for the team, which until now had been managing much of the process manually.
A need that shows no sign of abating
The figures demonstrate the scale of demand. “Since its launch, WeConnect has recorded more than 2,500 student registrations and facilitated 210 flat-sharing arrangements, and the results achieved over the past three years point to a solid financial trajectory: with a turnover of 300,881 euros in 2025, WeConnect has managed to become profitable as early as 2025, confirming the initial intuition and the viability of its business model. “The company is currently working with around sixty active hosts, but aims to double this number quickly in time for the start of the next academic year,” explains Clémentine Offner.
Evidence of this need became apparent as soon as the new platform was quietly launched online. Without any official publicity, 170 students signed up… in less than two weeks. “This figure shows just how real the demand is,” says Ivo Silva, who is now devoting himself full-time to developing the business after completing his master’s degree in management.
A business model based on matchmaking
WeConnect claims to have a business model directly linked to the success of the matches it makes. Registration on the platform is free for both students and hosts. The company is only paid once the shared accommodation arrangement has been confirmed.
In practical terms, the student pays a fee equivalent to one month’s rent when the match is made. Part of this is paid to the host, whilst the remainder constitutes WeConnect’s fee. The platform then deducts a small monthly commission from the rent to cover insurance, administrative management, automated contracts and the monitoring of shared accommodation arrangements. “We don’t like to talk about commission,” explains Ivo Silva, who prefers to see it as payment for the services and security provided to both parties.
Rents generally range from 600 to just over 800 euros a month, depending on the location, the facilities provided and the level of privacy offered (en-suite bathroom, kitchenette, etc.).
Much more than just a room to rent
Beyond providing a solution to the student housing crisis, WeConnect has a profoundly social dimension. Hosts don’t just offer a room: they welcome a student – who may have come from the other side of the world (our record so far is a student from New Caledonia!) – into their daily lives.
In return, many speak of the richness of the exchanges, the discovery of other cultures and a presence that is appreciated in everyday life. This mission has, in fact, earned WeConnect the status of a social impact company (SIS), a recognition of its social value in Luxembourg.
Aiming for 150 guests
The new visual identity symbolises this new phase of development. Its logo depicts the connection between two people, in keeping with the platform’s DNA. WeConnect now intends to launch a major awareness campaign to encourage more private individuals to open their homes to a student. The aim is clear: to reach 150 active hosts by the start of the academic year.
For whilst technology may now make it easier to meet people, it is still human relationships that lie at the very heart of the project.
