February 2017 – Page 8 – Online Personals Watch

Tinder Is Popular In Socially Conservative Egypt

Posted on February 9, 2017

VOCATIV – Feb 9 – Despite the online dating stigma, in recent years Tinder and dating sites like OkCupid have become increasingly popular among upper – and middle – class Egyptians in Cairo, Egypt's capital of ~20M people. Traditionally in Egypt sexual relations outside of marriage are taboo – in fact, any dating that happens is generally short and geared towards getting engaged. In 2014 Egypt's top Islamic authority issued a religious ruling prohibiting the use of online dating. Grindr has warned users in Egypt that police may be posing as users to entrap them and arrest them. "I am not pro this [dating apps and websites] if it's not about serious commitment to marriage," said the well-known Egyptian sexologist and TV show host Heba Kotb, who is popular for her conservative, though sometimes controversial, opinions on sex and religion.

by Miriam Berger
See full article at Vocativ

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France: Catholics Lose Court Case Against Gleeden

Posted on February 9, 2017

EURONEWS – Feb 9 – The National Confederation of Catholic Family Associations (CNAFC) brought the case against BlackDivine, the parent company of Gleeden, claiming that the business model was illegal and anti-social, and in direct violation of the civil code. A Paris court has ruled against the Catholic group. During the court case, the Catholic association called for an end to Gleeden's ad campaigns, claiming they preached infidelity. It also demanded the cancellation of contracts between the site and its customers. Gleeden describes itself as "the first extramarital dating site made by women." The company was founded in France in 2009.

by Sarah Joanne Taylor
See full article at Euronews

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Matchmaking Company, The Bevy, Claims 95% Success Rate

Posted on February 9, 2017

FORBES – Feb 9 – Nikki Lewis and Greta Tufvesson are co-founders of The Bevy, an exclusive matchmaking service that started in 2014. Their bi-coastal four-person team has set up shop in New York City and Los Angeles.

Q: What inspired you to start The Bevy?
A: With technology being so ubiquitous, all the mystery in life and relationships had dissipated. We wanted to bring back the face-to-face introduction.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge and the biggest reward of starting The Bevy?
A: The challenge was to grow the business exclusively through word of mouth. The biggest reward is watching your best friends get married.

Q: What advice do you have for other women who hope to start their own businesses?
A: Get a financial professional involved from the beginning. Secondly, understand your definition of success. Thirdly, hire people who are smarter than you.

Q: The Bevy has a 95% success rate. What do you attribute that success rate to?
A: We will never work with a man or woman we wouldn't invite to our own dinner table or set up with our best friend.

Q: What is your advice for someone who is single and hopes to fall in love?
A: Love yourself before you expect anyone else to love you.

by Elana Lyn Gross
See full article at Forbes

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SinglesAroundMe Launches Two New Features

Posted on February 9, 2017

PRWEB – Feb 9 – SinglesAroundMe, the location based dating app, is launching byChance and MingleRoom. byChance shows a list of singles that users crossed paths with throughout their day. MingleRoom is a place where the most active singles can meet, where engaging conversations can occur.

See full article at PRWeb

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Dating Apps Are Worth £11.7B To The UK Economy Every Year

Posted on February 9, 2017

BUSINESS INSIDER – Feb 9 – UK TSB bank found that dating apps contribute £11.7B to the UK economy every year, more than two thirds of the £14.5B that's spent on dates overall. The figures are based on a study carried out by research OnePoll, which sampled 2k UK adults. TSB said first dates in the UK cost £41 on average (£50 for men and £36 for women). Follow up dates cost ~£28.83.

by Sam Shead
See full article at Business Insider

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Why Match Group Was Right To Dump Princeton Review

Posted on February 9, 2017

THE MOTLEY FOOL – Feb 8 – Match has entered into an agreement to sell Princeton Review to ST Unitas, a global education technology company, for an undisclosed amount. The deal is expected to close by June. Princeton Review offers test-prep services and a guide to colleges. The marriage between the dating and non-dating services left many investors scratching their heads. Princeton Review never contributed more than a small amount of revenue to the overall company. Match CEO Greg Blatt summed up the decision by saying, "It has become increasingly clear to us that its differences from our core dating businesses meaningfully exceed its similarities." Companies often shutter struggling business to focus on core operations. The amount of the sale was not disclosed, but Princeton Review's revenue in 2016 was $104M.

by Jeremy Bowman
See full article at The Motley Fool

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Sapio: A New App That Makes Matches Based On IQ

Posted on February 9, 2017

HUFFINGTON POST – Feb 9 – Kristin Tynski, her wife Kelsey Libert, her twin brother Dan Tynski, and her brother-in-law Nick Santillo started dating app Sapio for sapiosexuals. Sapiosexual translates to a person who finds intelligence to be a sexually attractive quality in others. Coming from an LGBTQ family, Kristin wanted a dating app that wasn't only for straight people and that "focused more on the mind and the heart than simply on looks." The most notable facet of Sapio is the Question Explorer, which is filled with 300 open-ended questions in 21 categories. Tynski says that the more questions users answer, the more their visibility grows with others who care about the same things.

by Jenna Amatulli
See full article at Huffington Post

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A Sneak Peek Inside Match Group’s New HQ

Posted on February 9, 2017

DMAGAZINE – Feb 9 – The new three-floor office includes a video game room, living room, and wine and beer on tap. The company moved into its new building in Dallas in September. It outgrew its previous headquarters in University Park, where it spent 10 years. The open-office concept has 341 sitting and standing desks. Some of the more unique perks at Match include car wash services, an in-house masseuse, dry-cleaning services, and weekly yoga classes.

by Danielle Abril
See full article at DMagazine

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The Story Behind “Her”, The Lesbian Dating App

Posted on February 9, 2017

MOTTO.TIME – Feb 8 – Her, a dating app with with over 2M users in 55 countries, was designed specifically for queer women by a queer woman, Robyn Exton.

Q: Why did you see a need for a lesbian dating app?
A: Four years ago, all the dating sites for lesbians were built for gay guys, and its marketing toward women felt fake. I decided to do something about it.

Q: How exactly did your project differ from other popular apps at the time?
A: When we launched our first app, Dattch, the key focus was to stop men from coming into queer spaces and ruining the experiences.

by Megan Lasher
See full article at Motto.Time

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Gay Dating App Blued Bags Investment From China’s State-run Media

Posted on February 8, 2017

TECHNODE – Feb 8 – China's attitude toward GLBT community is improving. Chinese gay chat and hook-up app Blued has sealed eight-digit RMB strategic funding from the investment arm of The Beijing News, a state-backed newspaper group. Blued now supports 13 languages and has set up offices in Thailand, Vietnam, and the U.K. In December last year, Blued made a strategic investment with U.S. dating app Hornet in an attempt to make forays into North American and Latin American markets. The company is recording profits now thanks to thriving live streaming and mobile marketing businesses.