Month: November 2016
FMK Is A New Harsh Dating App
HER.IE – Nov 26 – FMK is short for F*ck, Marry, Kill. Users of the app are presented with three potential dates at a time and they have to chose which one they would have sex with, which one they would wed and which one they would murder. According to Memo, the app already has ~6k users and 90% of those users apparently use it daily.
Chinese Online Payment App Turned Into A Hook-up App
FarmersOnly.com – Rural Americans Need Their Own Dating Site
THE GUARDIAN – Nov 27 – Jerry Miller's FarmersOnly.com dating site has attracted 5M subscribers. Miller, who works in agricultural marketing, got the idea to start the dating service when he kept meeting lonely farmers through his work. Living in a rural area where the nearest neighbor is miles away and everyone knows each other does not leave a lot of dating options. Also the odd hours and lack of weekends of farm life don't make for easy dating.
Dating Apps Must Protect Users Better, Says NPCC
BBC.COM – Nov 24 – Dating apps "must take more responsibility" for protecting their users' safety on dates, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) has said. It comes after Stephen Port was found guilty of murdering four men he had met through dating apps. In the UK, the number of people reporting being raped on a first date with someone they met on a dating app increased six-fold between 2009 and 2014 to 184 cases a year, according to the National Crime Agency.
Just She App Review
PINK DATING SITES – Nov 24 – Just She is not only a dating application but a lesbian-friendly community. Even though Just She is free to download and use, some features need membership upgrade in order to be unlocked. Standard membership costs $39.99 per 1 month, while premium one cost $79.99 per 3 months. Users can try a VIP package which boosts up all features and tools, also gives them best searching results and much more for a $64.99.
Gay Dating App Hornet Raises $8M
VENTURE BEAT – Nov 22 – Hornet has raised $8M in its first round of institutional financing. The Series A round was led by Shanghai-based VC firm Ventech China, and adds to the $500k angel round Hornet raised back in 2012. Hornet says that the cash will be used to "support rapid business growth and user adoption" around the world. Ventech China participated in the Series C round of China's gay dating app Blued in June this year. Blued is big in Asia, and has claimed to be twice as big as Grindr.
by Paul Sawers
See full article at Venture Beat
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.
Three Day Rule Matches Users With Their Ex
BUSINESS INSIDER – Nov 22 – Instead of personality quizzes or a swiping interface, Three Day Rule uses machine learning and facial recognition software to find clients matches. Founded in 2013, the startup believes people are attracted to particular face shapes. It asks clients (who join for upwards of $7k) for photos of their exes, and then pairs them with users in its database who have similar facial structures.
by Leanna Garfield
See full article at Business Insider
M14 Acquires Double
BQ – Nov 22 – M14 Industries, the white label platform used to power niche dating apps, has acquired London-based dating platform Double, which shot to fame in 2015 after a successful Dragon's Den appearance. Double is a dating app which encourages users to find a friend, and look for double dates. The app has secured a £75k investment from Moonpig founder Nick Jenkins on the BBC show Dragon's Den in 2015. Under the terms of this deal, the value of which is undisclosed, the Double founders will exit the business.
by Suzy Jackson
See full article at BQ
See all posts on M14
See all posts on Double
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.
Bumble Expands Into Career Networking With BumbleBizz
ADAGE – Nov 22 – Dating app Bumble is introducing BumbleBizz, a feature that will match users with career peers and mentors. Users will upload career-related information about themselves, and the app will harness the data to find potential contacts. If two people swipe right, they can immediately begin communicating. Users will be able to switch between three profiles within Bumble – one designed for dating, one geared at making friends (BumbleBFF) and BumbleBizz. Like the dating section of the app, within BumbleBizz, women will have the power to take initiative. When a match occurs between male and female, the woman has 24 hours to start a conversation.