In this episode of the PPW Podcast, Harvey Hancock and Simon Baker sit down with Owen Redman and James Buck, co-founders of Roome and winners of Pitch Club at PPW Madrid 2026.Chapters:00:00 Intro01:14 PPW Madrid 2026 recap02:38 Meet Roome, the Pitch Club winners04:20 Universities, students and scale05:46 How Roome makes money08:59 Referral fees from student accommodation operators10:35 Co-branding vs an independent brand14:00 Community, brands and the data flywheel15:31 Competing with Instagram and TikTok16:55 Keeping students engaged after the house hunt23:16 Why students would share their best spots27:00 How universities get Roome to new students31:10 Referral tokens and the liability trap34:45 When should a startup expand internationally?40:09 What a strategic investor brings beyond cash44:32 Roome's fundraising plans46:09 Simon's advice: focusRoome is a mobile app that helps UK university students find compatible housemates, compare and book accommodation, and connect with the city around them. It works with seven UK universities, has around 10,500 verified students signed up and more than 20,000 downloads. Students from 132 universities have also signed up on their own.Owen and James explain how the model works. Universities pay up front for the partnership and get data back on how their students live. Roome also earns referral fees of £500 to £2,000 per student from purpose-built student accommodation operators chasing full occupancy. They talk through why students prefer an independent brand to a university-badged app, the new community product built to keep students coming back, and plans to reward students for sharing local spots and referring friends.Simon asks the hard questions: how Roome competes with Instagram and TikTok for attention, how universities actually push the app, and why referral points can become a hidden liability. When the founders turn the tables, Simon makes the case for earning the right to grow before going abroad and explains what a strategic investor brings beyond cash. While they raise, his one piece of advice is: focus.Roome is currently raising. If you'd like to talk to the team, reach out to Owen and James via the links below.Our next conference is PPW Bangkok, 2 to 4 March 2027, starting with a special Startup Day on 2 March. Get discounted tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/ppw-asia-pacific-conference-bangkok-2027-tickets-2003412809644?aff=PodcastGuests:• Owen Redman, Co-Founder at Roome: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owen-redman/• James Buck, Co-Founder at Roome: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-roome/Presented by:• Harvey Hancock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvey-hancock/• Simon Baker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stbaker/