THE DEAL – July 16 – Londoners Julian Keenaghan and Alex Parish met in a band, got into Web development and started Tastebuds in 2010. Tastebuds is a music-oriented dating site, where individuals connect through rankings of up to eight favorite bands or artists. The site has ~100K users in 100 countries, although it has yet to launch officially in the U.S. Tastebuds Media raised $600K. "This is loosely in-between social networks and Internet dating," explains Mark Brooks, who runs Online Personals Watch. Of all shared interests, music is one of the most defining. "If you're interested in Anthrax, that suggests a whole batch of characteristics or lifestyle," Brooks says. Brooks estimates the market worldwide is ~$4 billion. Match.com boasts ~25% market share in the United States followed by Zoosk ($40M revenue) and eHarmony ($250M rev.) Movies give music a run for its money. "Film is very similar to music, and hard-core movie fans compare to hard-core music fans," said Dana Loberg, co-founder of MovieLaLa.com, a social discovery site centered on the movies. MovieLaLa.com's revenue model is based on generating data that, Loberg believes, studios will pay for. That data will enable distributors to market movies more effectively.
by Matt Miller
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OMAHA.COM – July 18 – Nanci Kavich and Marcia Kapustin give clients the right words to best market themselves online to prospective companions. Their startup, called Profile Wingman, offers a mix of editing and coaching. Mark Brooks, longtime industry analyst end editor of Online Personals Watch, said: "Daters need help. They don't really know what they want. And they don't really describe themselves very well.”
