TECH CRUNCH – Apr 17 – Walt Disney and dating app Badoo are the latest companies to pledge funds for the rebuilding of Notre-Dame after the historic cathedral sustained severe damage in a fire earlier this week. Disney is giving $5M, while Badoo will donate all of its April profits from its 22M users in France. In total, ~$1B in total has been pledged from individuals and companies. President Emmanuel Macron has set an ambitious five-year plan to restore Notre-Dame, though restoration experts say it may take as many as 15 years.
Month: April 2019
Dating App Hily Is Now Also Popular in Ireland
IRISH POST – Apr 16 – Right after its recently launch in the UK and Ireland, the app made it to the top charts in Apple Store, beating its top competitors in overall download numbers. It is considered to be one of the fastest growing dating apps. "The most interesting things on Hily happen when a user actively engages with the application, swipes left or right, writes messages, sends bubbles," says Hily's co-founder Yan Pronin. "Based on this information, Hily identifies the interests and preferences of each user – things like who this person really likes and which potential matches will generate the best quality interaction."
How U.S. Patent and Litigation Abuse Can Deter Small Inventors: The Story of Cheek’d
IP WATCH DOG – Apr 15 – "I wish I'd never filed for this patent," says Lori Cheek, founder of Cheek'd dating app. Her patent No. 8543465 addressed: A method, software product and card for personal online/offline meeting. She applied for this patent in 2010 and it was granted on Sep 24, 2013. Soon after, a friend suggested she apply to be a contestant on Shark Tank. Her episode aired in 2014. The criticism she received on the show did cause Cheek to reconsider the business idea. She and her partner soon after developed a Bluetooth dating app, abandoning the card-based approach.
Q: What happened after your Shark Tank appearance?
A: I got an email from Alfred Pirri lawyer. After seeing a rerun of my Shark Tank episode, he was claiming he had the idea for my business in 2006, told his therapist about it in 2008, and that she had then told me – even though I've never met the therapist in my life. He is suing me for ~$5M.
Q: How has this experience made you feel about the U.S. patent and legal systems?
A: I just don't understand how it can even go this far. I've joined forces with a group of other inventors who are reaching out to Congressman Jerrold Nadler to see if he can change the system to make it easier for inventors to hold onto and enforce their rights.
Q: What advice do you have for other aspiring inventors?
A: I would still say go through the motions and read up on the risks—definitely still get a patent, and trademarking is important. I've asked my lawyer what I could have done differently, and he said I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and that if I hadn't gone on Shark Tank, I wouldn't be here.
Cheek's lawyer, Lawrence Goodwin, said that Pirri's lawsuit is "a fantasy". "We've got solid evidence that she came up with the idea before Pirri even started the therapy," Goodwin said. But that doesn't change the fact that Cheek will have to shell out thousands while the case makes its way through the system.
Momo: A Great Tech Stock No One Is Talking About
PROFIT CONFIDENTIAL – Apr 15 – Part of the problem might be that Momo is based not out of Silicon Valley, but China. And the U.S. and China have not exactly had the closest friendship over the years. Fraudulent Chinese stocks have also been an ongoing concern. With a market cap of $7.6B, Momo is not exactly a tiny company operating in a shady business. It's a leading mobile social networking app and deserves much more attention than it receives from the average investor. The company's monthly active users (MAUs) reached 113.3M in December 2018, up from the 99.1M YOY. Momo stock is up 71.5% year-to-date.
‘Spottle’ App Matches Singles During a 30-Second Video Chats
NEWSWIRE – Apr 17 – Spottle is a new dating app that lets users meet people in real time with a 30-second video chat instead. It takes place every Thursday and Saturday night at 9 p.m. ET. To play, users give the bottle their best spin, and when it stops, they'll enter into a 30-second video chat with their potential match. They can give their date a virtual "kiss" and see if they return the affection. If they do, it's a match! With that mutual kiss, users can then send messages, view profiles, and continue video chatting inside the app.
Match Group to Increase Headcount in Asia
FINANCIAL TIMES – Apr 15 – Match Group is planning to expand headcount in Asia by 40% this year and overhaul its executive team, as part of a push into the region's online dating market. The group is planing to invest tens of millions of dollars a year on a hiring spree as well as additional marketing in the region. Several directors for individual brands in Asia will now become general managers across all the Match apps. In the past two years, the company has opened offices in South Korea, Japan and Indonesia, and continued to expand its presence in India. The plan is to open an office in Singapore in the coming months. But it does not operate in China, where Tinder is banned. The company is hunting for opportunities for either "incubating or buying" a Chinese dating app.
Atari Is Investing in Qutie, a LGBT Dating App
PR NEWSWIRE – Apr 16 – Atari, one of the world's most iconic consumer brands, announced today an additional investment in LGBT Qutie. Since its launch last May, Qutie has seen ~400% growth in monthly user acquisition. "This new larger investment from Atari will allow us to scale our growth," said Jordan Weiss and Rachel Kimelman, Co-Founders of Qutie.
See full article at PR Newswire
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.com
Facebook Dating Will Allow Users to Connect Instagram Account
See full article at Social Barrel
Ashley Madison to Launch TV Campaign
THE DRUM – Apr 15 – Ashley Madison's latest TV campaign features two female members who are cheating. The ad reveals what women like most about their affairs. It will be running from April 15 to May 11 on the Viacom network's Paramount TV station.
Sex Attacks Involving Dating Apps on the Rise
