NZHERALD.CO.NZ – June 2 – "LUSSO is the most exclusive and most expensive dating site in the world to match highly successful singles outside of their usual circle," says founder David Minns. LUSSO aims to make history by uniting two singles in space. Currently the only way off planet is as a NASA-qualified overachiever or with a ticket on one of the first commercial space flights. Currently the entry cost of a seat on Virgin Galactic's 2022 space tourism programme costs $250K. However, the app is clear that it will not be covering any of the costs and it is not affiliated with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic or Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. LUSSO's annual membership costs $16500.
Month: June 2021
Egyptian Matchmaking App ‘Hawaya’ Hits 4 Million Users
STARTUP MGZN – June 2 – Hawaya, the Cairo-born matchmaking app, reached the 4M user milestone, after expanding outside of Egypt over the past year. The app currently operates in 12 new countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, as well as France, Germany, UK, Indonesia, Malaysia, US and Canada.
How Catfishers Exploit Basic Human Neuroscience
SALON – June 2 – Science explains why so many smart people let their guard down in the realm of online dating. Needs for social binds and the resulting reward of neurotransmitters reinforce behaviors such as reaching out and connecting even when faced with diminishing returns. Connecting with another individual is reinforced through neurotransmitter systems such as dopamine and oxytocin. These systems, when activated, also suppress aspects of deliberative reasoning, as we are more likely to trust the object of our affection and less attentive to the contingencies of their behavior. Sadly, catfishers exploit these properties by amping up the reward aspects (daily calls, frequent communication) hoping to suppress skeptical thinking. Understanding our hardwired biases is critical to help support the victims who often blame themselves and feel isolated through the experience.
by Stacey Wood, Tessa Solomon Lane, Brian Keeley & Thomas Borowski
See full article at Salon
Chinese App Yumy Went Viral Among 5 Million Users
YAHOO FINANCE – June 2 – Yumy, a social networking app launched by Newborn Town, one of China's leading Internet enterprises, has been downloaded ~5M times on Google Play store. Yumy features includes "Video Matching" and "Touched in 10 Seconds". In Yumy's "Heartbeat" mode, users can start video matching with one click. When a match is identified, the users can see each other and decide if they like each other within 10 seconds. If both parties are "touched" mutually, they can continue the video call. Newborn Town's portfolio includes Yiyo, MICO, and YoHo. YoHo has been one of the top 2 voice-chat social networking platforms in the Middle East. MICO has topped the list of most downloaded iOS social networking APPs in 71 nations/regions worldwide. Yiyo, nicknamed the "video version of Tinder", is popular in the Middle East and North Africa.
One Week Left to Invest in Bare Dating App
LINKEDIN – June 1 – Bare Dating, a new casual dating app on which users can choose to safely share intimate pictures, is raising funding through Seedr crowdfunding platform. The startup has so far raised close to ~£300K. Bare Dating launched in 2020 and has seen great success with 10K users in the UK.
$300K to Study Dating Apps in New Zealand
SCOOP.CO.NZ – June 1 – The Taxpayers Union in New Zealand is questioning the cost of Marsden Grants awarded to academic research of dubious value. 259 grants were awarded in the last two years, accounting for $158M of public money, including $300K to examine how New Zealanders are using dating apps. Recommendations for funding are made by a council of 11 researchers hand-picked by the Minister for Research, Science and Innovation.
SugarDaddyMeet Release New Feature for Vaccinated Singles
PR NEWSWIRE – May 31 – SugarDaddyMeet's "Vaccinated" badge will allow users to find singles who've been vaccinated. Users can pick from the following options:
- Fully vaccinated
- Waiting on additional dose
- Planning to get vaccinated
- Not getting vaccinated
- Prefer not to say