Two years ago, two students, Troy Armour from Letterkenny, Co Donegal, and Michael Faulkner, from Derry, set up a student course book and lifestyle website. On discovering that students are the most frequent users of the Internet, they resolved to develop a website that would e-tail predefined textbooks. So studybooks.com was set up as a project in the Technology and Software Incubation Centre at the University of Ulster. University students can now purchase course books at up to 40 per cent below the retail price using their website.

The new site secured first round investment which is valued at £2 million sterling and the company has grown to seven core staff. "Students today are very web literate and because of our 48-hour service can now spend less time searching for books and have more time to do what students do," says Faulkner. The site came into being when Faulkner looked at the emergence of the Internet as potentially the fastest medium for marketing to a niche market. Once the obsession for anything.com took hold, followed by the investment frenzy that followed, the studybooks.com website was developed. It was launched earlier this year.

The site is more than just a book site. While online, students can find out about finance, student life, travel, jobs and where to find the best student bars, clubs and gigs.