Month: December 2014

Hinge Raises $12 Million

Posted on December 12, 2014

Hinge logo new dec 13MASHABLE – Dec 11 – Mobile startup Hinge has raised $12M in Series A funding. Hinge had previously brought in $8.6M in seed funding and convertible notes. Shasta Ventures led the round, along with previous investors including Lowercase, Great Oaks, Eniac and CAA ventures. The funding will be used to bring the app into more markets. Hinge is currently available in 28 cities, 24 of which were launched in 2014. The company recently brought in former Spotify employee Eric Bogs to heads up its engineering team.

by Jason Abbruzzese
See full article at Mashable

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This post also apperas on InternetDatingInvestments.

Summarized by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

Online Dating App “The Grade” Kicks Out Bad Daters

Posted on December 12, 2014

The grade lotoFORTUNE – Dec 11 – The Grade, a new dating app developed by Snap Interactive, gives users a letter grade, and kicks off anyone who earns an “F”– which turned out to be 5% of its early users. The app launched last month. “We want to hold users accountable for their behavior,” says Cliff Lerner, CEO of Snap Interactive. “We believe the next big thing in online dating is accountability.” The grades are determined by an algorithm that looks at everything from grammar to how often users respond to messages. Overall grades are calculated based on the profile quality, responsiveness, and message quality.

by Daniel Roberts
See full article at Fortune

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Summarized by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

Happn Attracts $8 Million To Roll Out Its Tinder-Like App Globally

Posted on December 12, 2014

Happn logoTECH CRUNCH – Dec 11 – French dating app Happn just raised an $8M Series A round from Alven Capital and DN Capital, as well as business angels, such as Fabrice Grinda. Happn uses phone’s location to show users potential matches. Happn is now available in Paris, London, Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid and New York. Out of its user base of 1M people, 200K people use Happn every day.

by Romain Dillet
See full article at Tech Crunch

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This post also apperas on InternetDatingInvestments.

Summarized by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

Jess, Meet Ken Officially Launches Its Non-Creepy Dating Site

Posted on December 12, 2014

JessMeetKen how it worksBOSTINNO – Dec 11 – Dating site Jess, Meet Ken initially went live last February. Now, the website is officially launching with more features. Women who know great guys answer a few questions about them, which then generate profiles that other users can scope out. Single women can browse through the database of eligible bachelors with the assurance that another woman has advocated for them.

by Rebecca Strong
See full article at Bostinno

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CuddleBids & Cuddlr – Cuddle Finder Apps

Posted on December 12, 2014

CuddlingMACOBSERVER – Dec 11 – Physical contact is an important part of human interaction. That can be as simple as a hand shake or hug, or something they see as more intimate without becoming sexual, like snuggling. There are a few app for cuddling – CuddleBids and Cuddlr, both tout themselves as a sort of social network where people who simply want some human contact without sexual overtones can connect.

by Jeff Gamet
See full article at MacObserver

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Summarized by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

Meetme Launches Virtual Currency Product “Stickers”

Posted on December 12, 2014

Meetme logo news July 12PRESS RELEASE – Dec 10 – MeetMe, the social discovery service, has launched a new “Stickers” feature that lets users send emoticons, expressions and virtual gifts like “flowers” and “stuffed animals” inside the chat. MeetMe users can download their first two Sticker packs for free and buy additional packs for 150 Credits (~$3).

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Summarized by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

Got News?

Posted on December 12, 2014

Got news dec 14OPW – Dec 12 – We protect sources. We're looking for insider news and tips. Got something interesting? We will not share your contact information with anyone. We respect embargoes, and we absolutely will honor your privacy. Send your news directly at tips@onlinepersonalswatch.com.

Internet Dating Jobs Listing Update – December 2014

Posted on December 12, 2014

Internet dating jobs logo OPW – Dec 12 - The new Internet dating jobs listing is live on the Internet Dating Jobs blog.

Below see a couple of this month's most interesting offers:

____

From our esteemed Courtland Brooks clients:

DatingFactory
   Customer Communication and Marketing Manager

Global Personals USA (Webdate, Fling, WealthyMen, Crush.com)
  Brand Manager (Stunr.com)

MillionaireMatch
  Marketing Managers 

____

eHarmony
  Director, Product Management (Mobile)

Jiayuan
  Co-director of the new media to promote

Lovoo
  Head of Sales

Match.com, Chemistry.com, People Media
  Director, Mid-West Advertising Sales

Pre-Dating Speed Dating
  Promotional Director

To see more open positions go here.

Do you have an idating industry job offer which is not included? Please, send it to petra@courtlandbrooks.com and we will add it to the list.

Post by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

Badoo’s Founder And Whitney Wolfe Started Bumble, Female Friendly “Tinder”

Posted on December 10, 2014

Bumble screenshotsBUSINESS WEEK – Dec 9 – Whitney Wolfe, Tinder's former VP of marketing, launched Bumble which works like Tinder but only women can start conversations. In Sep, Wolfe, Tinder's former VP of marketing, settled a lawsuit that accused CEO Sean Rad and marketing chief Justin Mateen of writing her co-founder status out of the company's history and sending her inappropriate SMS. A week after she filed the claim, Wolfe says she received an e-mail from Andrey Andreev, founder of Badoo, expressing support. They hatched a plan to start a new “female-focused product,” Andreev said in an e-mail.

by Natalie Kitroeff
See full article at Business Week

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Millions Of Muslims Are Signing Up For Online Dating

Posted on December 10, 2014

Find a muslim partnerBBC – Dec 9 - SingleMuslim.com now boasts more than a million members. The site aims to provide clients with a partner for life. There is also Muslimmatrimony.com, which allows members to search for partners by the particular doctrine of Islam that they follow. HipsterShaadi.com used to market itself as the site for people looking for a partner but of whom their parents will also approve. Muslima.com claims ~5M members worldwide, and is owned by Cupid Media.

by Lydia Green
See full article at BBC

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Summarized by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting