pairer.io

Pairer.io helps event organisers create meaningful in-person connections by intelligently grouping attendees based on roles, goals, and interests — so networking actually happens.

Comment

Inspiration

At most in-person networking events, people arrive with good intentions but quickly fall into familiar patterns, sticking with friends, people they already know, or others just like them. Newcomers feel excluded, recruiters miss the right candidates, and meaningful conversations never really happen.

We wanted to build something that helps organisers intentionally design better interactions, so networking events actually lead to real conversations instead of awkward small talk.

That idea became pairer.io.

What it does

pairer.io is an in-person networking tool that intelligently groups attendees into small, balanced groups based on their roles, goals, and interests.

Organisers create events with configurable group sizes and tags. Attendees join via a link, select their role and goals, and check in. When networking starts, each person is assigned:

  • a clear meeting location (e.g. “Table 2”)
  • who they’re meeting with
  • a short icebreaker to help start the conversation

The result is a smoother, more inclusive networking experience that breaks cliques and creates meaningful connections.

How we built it

The frontend is built with Next.js and Tailwind CSS, focusing on clarity and speed in live event settings. The backend uses FastAPI and Python with a MySQL database to store events, attendees, and group assignments.

For matching, we implemented:

  • AI-assisted grouping using Google Gemini that balances roles and maximises shared interests and goals

Challenges we ran into

  • AI rate limits and reliability during live demos
  • Rendering and refreshing issues due to awaitng group matching

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Building a fully working end-to-end system
  • Designing a robust fallback algorithm so networking always works
  • Creating a clear, human-centred UX that removes ambiguity during events

What we learned

*Networking is fundamentally a human problem, not just a technical one *Clear instructions and UX matter more than complex algorithms

  • Reliable fallbacks are essential when working with AI services *Strong scope control leads to better products under time pressure

What's next for pairer.io

  • Adaptability to different industries and event types
  • Support for more event types, such as fairs and conferences
  • Organiser dashboards with live analytics
  • Real-time updates

pairer.io is designed as infrastructure for meaningful in-person connections.

Share this project:

Updates