TECH CRUNCH – Jan 27 – S'More has signed a production deal with producers Elvia Van Es Oliva and Jack Tarantino, who have worked on shows like "90 Day Fiancé." CEO Cohen-Aslatei said the startup will work with them to create "anti-superficial" dating content for digital platforms and TV networks. This deal builds on the success of S'More Live, the startup's celebrity dating show on Instagram Live, which has aired 60 episodes so far.
Month: January 2021
Online Dating Now Most Popular Way to Meet Potential Partners
AAP – Jan 27 – According to Monash University and eharmony, by 2038, more than half of newborns will be 'e-babies' – infants born to couples who met online. And by 2040, more couples will be meeting online than in the real world. The Future of Dating report, based on a survey of 2K Australians, found online dating was already the most popular way for people to meet. 30% of respondents said online dating was their preferred method of meeting partners, well ahead of meeting through a mutual friend or meeting at work, at 17% and 16% respectively.
S’More Raised $2.1M in Seed Round
DOT.LA – Jan 26 – The dating app, S'More, which is short for Something More, has raised $2.1M. The service, which debuted in LA in June, says it has registered ~165K users since it came out of stealth mode last March and is seeing 20% to 30% monthly growth. Users skew female and young, with more than half under 35 years old. On S'more, photos are blurred out until users have spent time talking to each other. The new funding will be used to expand the company's operations by hiring a full-time development team and expanding marketing to get ready for a full nationwide rollout.
by Ben Bergman
See full article at Dot.la
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.com
Grindr Is Fined $11.7M Under European Privacy Law
NEW YORK TIMES – Jan 26 – The Norwegian Data Protection Authority will fine Grindr $11.7M for illegally disclosing private details about its users to advertising companies. The agency said Grindr had transmitted users' precise locations, user-tracking codes and the app's name to at least five advertising companies, essentially tagging individuals as L.G.B.T.Q. without obtaining their explicit consent, in violation of European data protection law. Grindr shared users' private details with, among other companies, MoPub, Twitter's mobile advertising platform, which may in turn share data with ~100 partners. In a statement, a spokesperson for Grindr said the company had obtained "valid legal consent from all" of its users in Europe on multiple occasions and was confident that its "approach to user privacy is first in class" among social apps. The company has until Feb. 15 to comment on the ruling before it is final.
by Natasha Singer & Aaron Krolik
See full article at New York Times
Matchmaker Carly Spindel Is Seeking an Investment Of $650K for 10% of Flash Match NYC
SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE – Jan 26 – Carly Spindel, the founder of Janis Spindel Serious Matchmaking, recently created the first of its kind: online dating + online matchmaking + one-on-one matchmaking = Flash Match NYC. "Flash Match NYC is a do-it-yourself online matchmaking service where it's automated with suggested matches and Carly approves each match," says Janis Spindel. All members have gone through a double screening process that includes meeting Carly and Janis in person. Carly is the daughter of America's Top Matchmaker Janis Spindel and lived this business since she was 10 years old working side by side with her mother. Janis began her professional matchmaking career in 1993 and has over 4,012 marriages.
See full article at Send2Press Newswire
See the top news on Serious Matchmaking, Inc.
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.com
Match Group CEO Never Thought Covid Would End Online Dating
BLOOMBERG – Jan 26 – Sharmistha Dubey, the CEO of the Match Group, breaks down what love in the time of Coronavirus is like for Match Group’s users. She speaks to Mark Miller at Bloomberg’s “The Year Ahead.”
International Tech Platforms Open up to Independent Scrutiny
PR NEWSWIRE – Jan 26 – The Internet commission launches Accountability Report 1.0. The year-long independent review, with the participation of the BBC, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Popjam, Tinder and Meetic looked at how organisations take decisions about online content. The report demonstrates that large organisations can open themselves up to independent scrutiny and benchmarking of content moderation processes, in a collaborative way and across borders. The Accountability Report 1.0 is available at inetco.org/report.
Vidate: New Dutch Video Dating App
GRATIS DATING TIPS – Jan 26 – Vidate is a new dating app that consists entirely of video dating. The profile photos and text have been replaced by 20s video profiles and chats with video-dates. The app was launched by Van Zelderen, and launched last week. Vidate is completely free at the moment.
The Future of Social Networks Might Be Audio
MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW – Jan 26 – The latest apps bring back the intimacy of the spoken word – but there are serious moderation issues to be addressed. The best-known audio-focused network is Clubhouse but it lacks moderation. Gaming chat app Discord has also exploded in popularity. The service uses voice-over-IP software to translate spoken chat into text. By Oct, Discord estimated 6.7M users – up from 1.4M in Feb. Jimi Tele, the CEO of Chekmate, a "text-free" dating app that connects users through voice and video, says he wanted to launch an app that would be "catfish-proof". Users start voice memos that average 5s and then get progressively longer. And while Chekmate has a video option, Tele says the app's users favor using just their voices. This immediacy and authenticity is the reason Gilles Poupardin created Cappuccino, an app that takes voice recordings from a closed group of friends or family and delivers them as downloadable audio.
by Tanya Basu
See full article at MIT Technology Review
This post also appears on VerySocialNetwork
Bumble Is Revamping the Virtual Dating Scene
LOCALSYR.COM – Jan 26 – Bumble has been revamping their approach and Head of Editorial Content Clare O’Connor says they have have seen a change in the way people are dating amid a pandemic. It’s known as ‘slow-mo dating’. Clare says people are taking longer on the app and staying safe too.