CNET.COM – Mar 15 – YouTube has romantic roots, says co-founder Steve Chen. The idea was for single people to make videos introducing themselves and saying what they were looking for, said Chen. After five days no one had uploaded a single video, so he and the other co-founders, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim, reconsidered.
Month: March 2016
Tinder Experienced Tech Problems, Matches Disappeared
MASHABLE – Mar 15 – Users of Tinder were upset on Monday when they discovered their matches had mysteriously vanished. A Tinder spokesperson said that all matches would be restored once the tech problems were patched up.
Once’s Matchmakers Match People Based On Their Photos
INDEPENDENT – Mar 13 – Amélie Guerard has 20 seconds to matchmake couples based on their profile photos. She works for start-up dating app Once. "I use my gut feeling. When you see the photo you know if people are going to get along, if they are party people or more creative types," she says.
Digital Dating Panel At Disrupt New York
TECH CRUNCH – Mar 14 – There will be a digital dating panel at Disrupt New York this May. Bumble CEO & Founder Whitney Wolfe, Her founder & CEO Robyn Exton, and Coffee Meets Bagel co-founder and COO Dawoon Kang will discuss how niche dating services could be the next big thing.
by Jordan Crook
See full article at Tech Crunch
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What’s Next For SNAP Interactive?
OPW – Mar 14 – On todays investor call, CEO Alex Harrington revealed that SNAP is going to be launching a new brand in Q3. We'll cover it here on OPW as soon as its announced. Are You Interested has now rebranded to FirstMet, and the company is seeing a significant increase in activity with the new brand. This is especially pleasing since they've not started their win-back campaign yet. SNAP is looking towards International markets. FirstMet is configured for translation and is live in Spanish. Portuguese is being evaluated. SNAP's product innovation will focus on mobile moving forward.
SNAP Interactive generated $12 million revenue in 2015, down 11% from 2014. EBITDA was nearly break-even, which is their best performance to date.
I was also on the call to talk about the mass transition of the industry to mobile and general trends. You can see the slides directly here. – Mark Brooks
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This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.
Post by Mark Brooks @ Courtland Brooks.
DateADev Navigates Developers Through Online Dating
GEEKWIRE – Mar 13 – Two Amazon employees launched DateADev, a new consultation company that advises tech workers who have struggled to find a romantic relationship. The idea is to help them optimize their online profiles on dating apps. Clients can pay $99 for a 1-hour consultation during which DateADev reviews their profiles. DateADev also offers monthly memberships ($259 – $759) and provide 24/7 access to dating coaches.
New Irish Dating App “Once” Is Growing Fast
IRISH MIRROR – Mar 11 – Once, a brand new dating app, is set to take on the Irish market. Once combines digital dating technology and a team of human matchmakers, generating a specifically targeted daily match for users at noon each day.
eHarmony Continues ‘Brains Behind The Butterflies’ Campaign With Fresh Ad
THE DRUM – Mar 13 – The campaign is based on the concept that other sites use only basic information to find users a match. The ad shows single woman who lists being a ‘foodie’ in her profile – paired with a giant pig.
“The Inner Circle” Exclusive Dating App To Launch In NYC Next
MANAGEMENT TODAY – Mar 11 – The Inner Circle is an 'exclusive', invitation only dating platform, aiming for successful and ambitious members. Three of The Inner Circle's seven employees pore over the waiting lists to determine whether users make the cut. Co-founders David Vermeulen, Michael Krayenhoff and Serge Samusya initially rolled out the platform in Amsterdam in 2012, and The Inner Circle now has networks in London, Milan, Paris and Stockholm. New York is next on the agenda. Currently the app has 90K members across Europe. Vermeulen says it was profitable in three months. Turnover for its first year was £215K. Two years later turnover reached £1m with a profit of £172K.
by Rebecca Smith
See full artricle at Management Today
DateTix Surpasses Tinder In Hong Kong
FINFEED – Mar 11 – The recently launched dating app DateTix has seen ~7K downloads since the start in February. The app has now surpassed Tinder in the Hong Kong iOS store, consistently ranked in the top 5. DTX is not just for dating but for serious relationships. DTX's strategy is establish a presence in Hong Kong before moving into China.