From the Netherlands to Calgary: How Leon Pluns started something at UCalgary

For Leon Pluns, the University of Calgary represented a fresh start — for both him and his startup, Bondr. 

Hailing from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, Pluns came to UCalgary on exchange in 2024. Faced with various choices, his decision to come to the University of Calgary was intentional: “I wanted to go somewhere that gave me the tools to build something impactful,” he says. “Or how the University of Calgary would put it, to start something.”

Pluns was drawn to Calgary’s fast-growing entrepreneurial community. “Having like-minded people around you makes a huge impact. I immediately thought, this is the place I need to go,” he says. 

A simple experiment leads to a social discovery app

Bondr was born from a simple experiment back in 2019, during his first year at Humboldt University in Berlin.

“I hung up a piece of paper with my face on it that read ‘I want to play tennis.’ And it worked — people reached out and I found a few tennis buddies,” he recalls. 

In the wake of COVID, Pluns felt the pressures of isolation as he started university. “I felt super lonely, which is why I started the experiment. I wanted to do something about it,” he says. 

From that initial experiment, Pluns decided to turn the concept into an app, now known as Bondr. 

Bondr is an activity-centric social discovery app that connects people through shared interests. Different from social media and dating apps, Bondr is designed to move interactions offline. 

With his own experience in mind, Pluns created Bondr for anyone going through a social restart — like those starting university.

After his first year at Humboldt, Pluns transferred to the University of Groningen, where he began building the app. 

In its initial stages, Bondr was a self-directed endeavour. “I did a lot of googling, watching videos, and networking to learn how to proceed. It was pure trial and error. The first team assembled to develop the application faced significant challenges, including an unsuitable tech stack, misaligned mindsets, and incorrect approaches, which caused the team to disband in 2023,” he says.

Of course, this initial setback paved the way for Pluns to bring his vision to life elsewhere. 

Starting something at the University of Calgary

When Pluns arrived at UCalgary, he was immediately struck by the university’s Start Something campaign. “Wherever you go on campus, you see the sign,” he says. “It sets the foundation for how you approach your university experience. It’s the hook that drew me here.”

With a goal to become Canada’s most entrepreneurial university, the University of Calgary is committed to supporting new and experienced entrepreneurs. In fulfilling this mission, the university is bridging the gap between academia and industry. 

This fast-growing innovation ecosystem made the University of Calgary the perfect place for Pluns’ entrepreneurial aspirations to actualize. 

An entrepreneurial community to build with 

Pluns attended an event at the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking on his first day at UCalgary. Though he was already familiar with the Hub from previous research, that first introduction left a lasting impression on Pluns. “I was captivated by the Hunter Hub’s spirit,” he says. 

On his second day, he had a meeting with Ashley Regnier, manager of Innovation Sandbox at the Hunter hub. 

Located on the fourth floor of the Hunter Student Commons, Innovation Sandbox offers a dynamic co-working space tailored for entrepreneurial ventures. More than just a space, the membership offers students, faculty, and staff members a chance to be part of a like-minded community of changemakers. 

“We’ve created a space for people to be creative, to collaborate with others and to push the boundaries on what they think they are capable of,” Regnier says. 

“The first time I met Leon, it was clear that his passion for entrepreneurship was infectious,” she says. “He was so passionate about the community and connecting with other members and had so much drive to get Bondr off the ground.”

In joining Innovation Sandbox, Pluns found the place he was searching for.

“There are so many acceleration opportunities available here at the Hunter Hub. Opportunities I had never been exposed to,” Pluns says. “Working with the Hunter Hub, I never felt alone.” 

A few steps back to surge forward

With the support of the Hunter Hub, Pluns felt empowered to bring Bondr to life. 

“I knew that I needed to be in an environment that allowed me to get the fundamentals right,” he says. “Starting at the Hunter Hub, I went back to the ideation phase.”

Within the Hunter Hub, Pluns was able to find the team he needed to fully develop Bondr: 

• Leading development are Carlos Andres Montoro and Carlos Sujanto
• Spearheading business development are Pablo Mugnaini and Bradley Brunton. 

Once formed, the team ran focus groups directly within the Hunter Hub’s student community to refine their MVP. 

Pluns credits the development of the app to the support of the team standing beside him, as well as mentorship from the hub. 

“Entrepreneurship isn’t something you’re meant to do alone. You need to rely on others and allow people to become a part of your journey,” he asserts. 

A bright future for Bondr

“My goal was — and still is — to simplify the way we make connections and reduce digital loneliness,” Pluns says. 

And momentum is certainly picking up. Back in April, Bondr held their launch event at the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking. In May, Bondr was one of 10 UCalgary startups invited to Web Summit with the Hub. Held in Vancouver, Web Summit is North America’s fastest growing tech conference. 

Over the course of the next year, Pluns plans to focus his efforts on growing Bondr. 

Finding your starting line at UCalgary

For those considering an entrepreneurial path, Pluns would encourage them to give it a shot. “Just try. Ask. Be authentic about what you want to achieve,” he says. 

Pluns believes that with every misstep, you grow a little closer to your goals. 

“Ultimately, you get through challenges by holding firm to the maniac belief that you can change something about the problem you’re trying to solve.”