Our Mission: Better Roommate Matches Through Science
We believe finding a compatible roommate shouldn't be a gamble. Domu Match is a science-driven platform that uses compatibility research to help students find roommates they'll actually get along with. Safety, transparency, and evidence-based matching guide everything we do.
Our Story
How we started, what drives us, and where we're headed.
Finding a good roommate shouldn't be a gamble. Yet for millions of students every year, it is. You fill out a form, get randomly assigned, and hope for the best. Sometimes it works out. Often it doesn't.
Domu Match was founded by Danish Samsudin, Founder and Developer, who saw the same problem play out again and again: students struggling with roommate conflicts that hurt their grades, their mental health, and their university experience. Research shows that nearly half of all students face frequent or occasional conflict with their roommates. That's not acceptable.
So we built a better way. We use compatibility science—the same principles that help people form lasting friendships—to match students based on lifestyle, personality, and academic factors. We verify every user. We make the matching process transparent. And we partner with universities to make this the standard for student housing.
Our goal is simple: make student living safer, happier, and more compatible. One match at a time.
Danish Samsudin
Founder and Developer
“We started Domu Match because we saw too many students struggling with roommate conflicts. Our mission is to use science and technology to create better matches—matches that last.”
Our Journey
2025 August
The Problem Identified
We recognized that nearly half of all students face roommate conflicts that impact well-being and academic performance. Random assignment wasn't working.
2025 September
Research Phase
We analyzed peer-reviewed studies on compatibility, peer effects, and student housing satisfaction from Nature and other leading sources.
2025 October
Algorithm Development
We built a science-driven algorithm that analyzes 40+ lifestyle and academic factors, informed by social compatibility research.
2025 November
Launch
We launched Domu Match with transparent, explainable matching backed by verification and safety measures.
Present
Growing Impact
We're now helping students across multiple universities find better matches and making science-backed matching the standard.
Where We're Headed
Our vision is to make science-backed roommate matching the standard for student housing. Every student deserves compatibility-based matching that considers lifestyle, personality, and academics.
Short-term goals
- Expand partnerships with universities across the Netherlands
- Build a community of verified students finding better matches
- Continuously tune the matching model using outcomes and feedback
- Launch student-created group chats to form houses faster
- Introduce richer profiles with bios, interests, and highlights
Long-term vision
- Partner with housing agencies to offer compatibility-matched rooms
- Provide in-platform legal contracts students can review and sign
- Enable roommate agreements to set expectations and accountability
- Offer individual and group calling for deeper conversations
- Launch mobile apps so Domu Match is accessible everywhere
The Evidence: Why Compatibility Matters
Research shows that compatibility impacts academic performance, retention, and satisfaction. Here's what the data tells us.
Report Roommate Conflict
Nearly half of students face ongoing conflict. Negative peer effects hurt grades, well-being, and retention.
Golding et al., "Negative Roommate Relationships and the Health and Well-being of Undergraduate College Students"
How we solve it:
We analyze 40+ factors—study habits, cleanliness, social needs—to prevent conflict before it starts.
Want to Switch Rooms
Bad matches create churn, stress, and extra work for housing teams.
Deng (Empirical Study of Dormitory Conflict)
How we solve it:
Transparent matching helps students make informed choices, reducing churn and improving retention.
Satisfied When Compatible
Prioritizing compatibility drives housing satisfaction and retention.
InsideHigherEd coverage of SDSU survey (2024)
How we solve it:
Our science-backed approach helps students find roommates as compatible as their best friends.
Why Compatibility Matters: Peer Effects, Retention, and Satisfaction
Roommate conflicts have real academic and emotional costs. Compatibility compounds over time: strong matches mean better grades, retention, and satisfaction. Poor matches create stress, churn, and lower performance.
Cao et al., "Heterogeneous peer effects of college roommates on academic performance" (Nature, 2024)
What We Value
These principles guide everything we do, from building our algorithm to partnering with universities.
Safety First
Student safety is non-negotiable. We verify every user and prioritize secure, respectful interactions.
Science-Driven
Our matching is backed by research—not guesswork. Peer-reviewed compatibility science informs every recommendation.
Transparency
No black boxes. We explain how matching works and why you're compatible with each potential roommate.
University Partnership
We partner with universities so better matching becomes the housing standard.
What Drives Us
We're a mission-led organization focused on making student living safer, happier, and more compatible.
- Safety above all: Every user is verified. Every interaction is secure.
- Science-driven: Our algorithm is grounded in peer-reviewed compatibility research.
- Transparent: We show you exactly why you're compatible with each match.
- Partnership-focused: We work with universities to make better matching the standard.