Connectly

Inspiration

Our inspiration came from seeing how hard it is to move from an idea to an actual startup team in college. Despite growing entrepreneurship programs, most founders lack immediate access to teammates with the right skills — developers, designers, marketers, or co-founders. We wanted to build something that could make those connections instant and meaningful.

What it does

Connectly helps student founders find teammates for their startup ideas. Users enter their idea, university, skills, and the type of collaborators they’re looking for. Our algorithm then matches them with students who share similar interests and complementary skills — prioritizing people from the same campus, and expanding globally when needed. In short, it turns a startup idea into a team in minutes.

How we built it

We built Connectly using Next.js for the frontend, Tailwind CSS for responsive design, and Firebase for authentication and database management. ->Next.js gave us the structure for routing and server-side rendering. ->Firebase Authentication allowed secure user sign-in and sign-up. ->Firestore stored user data and project ideas dynamically. ->The matching logic was built using keyword-based filtering on idea descriptions, skills, and universities.

Challenges we ran into

->Getting Firebase Authentication to work correctly with Next.js middleware. ->Dealing with Firestore index errors when implementing filtered searches. ->Keeping real-time updates smooth while testing authentication states. ->UI alignment and making the experience intuitive under time pressure.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

->Built a fully functional MVP in under 24 hours. ->Implemented a real working match algorithm for student founders. ->Designed a clean and professional interface with Tailwind. ->Integrated Firebase authentication and real-time database successfully.

What we learned

->Deep understanding of Firebase Auth and Firestore integration. ->How to structure a full-stack app using Next.js. ->The importance of UX — users should feel guided, not lost. ->That debugging deployment issues teaches you more than any tutorial ever could.

What's next for Connectly

We plan to: ->Add AI-powered profile matching using NLP embeddings for better results. ->Introduce chat and collaboration features between matched users. ->Launch it across universities and student startup incubators. ->Expand to include investors and mentors to help student founders grow.

Built With

• firebase-(auth-+-firestore)
• next.js
• react
• tailwind-css