Bumble Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results

Posted on March 12, 2026
Logo of Bumble Inc.

BUSINESS WIRE – Q4 2025: Bumble generated $224.2M in revenue (-14%) with 3.3M paying users (-20.5%). ARPPU increased to $22.20 (+7.9%). The company reported a $611.1M net loss, largely due to $630.5M in impairment charges, while Adjusted EBITDA was $71.6M. Full Year 2025: Revenue totaled $965.7M (-9.9%) with 3.7M paying users (-11.5%). ARPPU rose slightly to $21.64 (+1.9%). Bumble recorded a $906.6M net loss, mainly from $1.04 billion in impairment charges, though Adjusted EBITDA increased to $313.6M and operating cash flow reached $250M.

See full article at Bumble website

Announcing LTR 50 With Jeff Tarr (Founder and CEO of Operation Match) and Colin Hodge (co-founder of DOWN)

Posted on March 12, 2026

OPW – Edition 50 of the LTR (Love, Tech, Relationships) online experience will be on Wednesday, March 25th, at 12 pm (noon) EST (New York time).

In this edition, Mark Brooks will interview Jeff Tarr, Founder and CEO of Operation Match, to discuss his experience launching the first technology-based dating service in the 1960s. The conversation will explore how punch card computing powered early matchmaking, and the challenges of building a dating business before the Internet.

After that, Mark will speak with Colin Hodge, co-founder of DOWN, about his new book, Outrageous Startup Growth: Uncovering the Secrets of User Psychology to Scale Your Success, and how he scaled startups to over 100 million users using practical growth strategies.

If you hold a full-time leadership role at an online dating, social discovery, or matchmaking company, you are welcome to join LTR events for free.

Why attend LTR?

🏠 Flexible: Attend from anywhere – no travel required.
⏰ Convenient: Live session. 90 minutes.
💰 Free: No registration fees.

See the LTR Edition 50 speakers and invite page here.

This event is kindly sponsored by HubPeople and LeadThink.

Email mark@courtlandbrooks.com to RSVP.

Image featuring Jeff Tarr, co-Founder and CEO of Operation Match, and Colin Hodge, Founder and President of DOWN Dating App, set against a blurred audience background with the text 'LTR US' and 'Courtland Brooks'.

Yeet: A Gen Z Dating App Using AI to Replace Swiping

Posted on March 12, 2026
Promotional graphic for the Yeet Dating App

FORBES – Yeet is a dating app for Gen Z that uses an AI agent called Yeeta to facilitate real-time interactions between users. The AI helps guide conversations and hosts interactive sessions intended to reduce ghosting and stalled chats. The platform focuses on live engagement rather than browsing profiles. It has around 6,000 beta users and reflects a broader trend of AI tools being introduced into dating apps as younger users look for more direct and meaningful interactions. 

See full article at Forbes

Bumble Tests AI Matchmaker to Move Dating Beyond Swiping

Posted on March 12, 2026
Bumble AI dating assistant

BLOOMBERG – Bumble introduced a new AI-powered assistant designed to act as a personal matchmaker. The tool begins with a private conversation that explores topics such as values and relationship goals, then notifies users when it identifies a strong match. The feature, called Dates, aims to move beyond surface-level swiping by better understanding users and what they are looking for. It will initially launch as a pilot program for a small group of users.

See full article at Bloomberg

Study Shows Most Seniors View Sexual Intimacy as Essential to Relationships

Posted on March 11, 2026
An older couple sharing an affectionate moment together

JPOST – A University of New Hampshire study published in the Journal of Sex Research found that 97% of single adults aged 60-83 consider sexual intimacy essential in a relationship, and 72% would not pursue a partner if sex is not part of the relationship. The study interviewed 100 online daters (50 women and 50 men) and found that participants were seeking both companionship and passion, often adapting to physical changes through medical support or redefining intimacy. Broader data shows more than half of Americans aged 65-74 remain sexually active, while over a quarter of those aged 75-85 report the same, challenging the perception that older adults are uninterested in sex.

See full article at JPost

HubPeople Launches “Find My Dating App” Traffic Optimisation Funnel for Dating Affiliates

Posted on March 11, 2026
HubPeople Find My Dating App

LINKEDIN – HubPeople has launched a new product called Find My Dating App, a traffic optimisation funnel designed to improve conversions in the online dating affiliate space. The system routes users through a short questionnaire and then matches them with three relevant dating platforms based on their preferences. According to HubPeople, the tool draws from a network of ~4K dating sites across 70 niches, with access to ~100M active users. The goal is to address a common issue in dating traffic monetization, where users with different intentions – such as serious relationships, casual dating, or niche communities – are often sent to the same offer, leading to low conversion rates and higher acquisition costs. The company says the platform allows traffic partners, affiliates, and publishers to direct mixed-intent audiences to more relevant dating communities through a single link.

See full article at LinkedIn

Feeld Launches 165-question “Reflections” Tool to Improve Dating Matches

Posted on March 11, 2026
Feeld dating app

WIRED – Feeld is a dating app originally created for people interested in non-traditional relationships, including kink, polyamory, and alternative sexual communities. Launched in 2014 as 3nder, the platform has expanded rapidly, with membership growing 368% between 2021 and 2025. As the app has grown, its user base has broadened beyond its original niche, bringing in more mainstream daters. In response to this evolution, Feeld is launching a new in-app feature called Reflections, a 30-minute self-discovery survey with 165 prompts that evaluates users’ desires, boundaries, and relationship preferences. The company says the tool is intended to help users better understand their relationship styles and improve matching within the platform.

See full article at Wired

Gleeden Reaches 4 Million Users in India as Extra-marital Dating Grows

Posted on March 11, 2026
Logo of Gleeden

BUSINESS TODAY – Gleeden, a dating platform designed for extra-marital relationships, has reached 4M users in India, making the country one of its fastest-growing markets. Launched in France in 2009, the app’s Indian user base is 65% male and 35% female, with women’s participation rising 148% over the past two years. Usage is concentrated in major cities such as Bengaluru (18%), Hyderabad (17%), Delhi (11%), Mumbai (9%), and Pune (7%), though growth is also expanding into smaller cities. The platform allows women to use the service for free, which the company says helps encourage participation.

See full article at Business Today

Hinge’s Algorithm Doesn’t Judge on Attractiveness

Posted on March 10, 2026
Hinge Jackie Jantos

FINANCIAL TIMES – Since 2021, Hinge’s MAU have doubled from 4.8M to 11.8M (Sensor Tower), while Tinder went from 65M to 51M. Jackie Jantos played a pivotal role, as Hinge’s CMO for 4 years before becoming CEO in December. “Prompts” – short notes that users write on profiles to share their interests and spark conversation – and emphasis on chat over simply responding to photos boosted its success. Does the algorithm rate users’ attractiveness? “No,” Jantos says. “We are trying to find who you might like and who might like you. The algorithm has the information around the individuals who you’ve liked and it also sees signals around content that you’ve liked.” Revenue per payer on Hinge was $31.97/month in 2025. Paying users increased to 1.8M at the end of 2025. Jantos says maintaining the “free experience”, which gives users eight likes a day, was “sacred.”

See full article at Financial Times

13D Management Exits Match Group After Selling $4.7Million Stake

Posted on March 10, 2026
Logo of Match Group

THE MOTLEY FOOL – 13D Management disclosed that it sold its entire position in Match Group during Q4. The position was previously 4.5% of the fund’s AUM as of Q3, marking a significant reduction during broader fund downsizing. It’s top holding after the filing is $8.6M of Twilio (TWLO). The fund reported 16 positions post-filing, with total 13F reportable AUM of $84M. For investors, the key question is which Match Group platform will drive the next phase of growth and its ability to convert shifting dating habits into sustained payer growth.

See full article at The Motley Fool