HORNET – Hornet Live is being rolled out now. Like most live streaming platforms, Hornet allows users to make money from their live videos through users sending them awards.
Month: September 2021
MeetUp: an Alternative to Dating Apps?
AARP – Ed Baig is the former tech editor at USA Today and is now at AARP. He asked me for a non-conventional 'social' alternative to dating apps for seniors, and I suggested Meetup. Here's the excerpt from a list of 50 recommended apps.
Meetup lets you mingle with people who share your interests and can match you with 300k groups and 100k weekly events. You can find a nearby book club, hiking group or someone you want to spend more time with. "This is a great place to meet like minds outside the explicit context of dating," says CEO Mark Brooks of Courtland Brooks, who consults with dating services. "Then count on serendipity and put some effort into meeting new friends through the friends you just met by inviting them out to your own group events."
by Edward C. Baig
See full article at AARP
This post also appears on Very Social Network
Twitch for Dating
MEDIUM – The Meet Group either owns, powers, or will soon power the Livestreaming Video & Creator Economy of 7 of the top 50 largest social apps by revenue in the world, according to App Annie data. AppAnnie recently published a report, which noted 3 out of every 4 dollars spent in the Top 25 Social Apps Worldwide are spent in Live Streaming. The Creator economy is estimated to be a $100+B market today, roughly doubling in 2020 over 2019 as the pandemic has forever changed consumer behavior. Twitch, the livestreaming video game platform, said that people watched 1 trillion minutes of video in 2020. The Meet Group is the #1 livestreaming dating platform in North America and Europe. The Meet Group reaches ~14M people a month, while its vPaaS platform reaches up to another 23M.
Happn Launches Its New Range of Voice Features
ADGULLY – Happn was developing a range of voice features in June. The new happn voice features will be gradually launched on the app starting today, first in France and Argentina, followed by the rest of the world. They include: the audio notes, calls and feeds. These features will be free and available to all users.
Aisle Launches Neetho, a Matchmaking App for Telugu Speakers
THE PLUNGE DAILY – Aisle, India's second most downloaded dating app, has launched its vernacular dating app 'Neetho', for Telugu singles residing in and out of India. Aisle's portfolio of apps currently include high intent dating app Aisle and vernacular apps 'Arike', 'Anbe' and 'Neetho'. Over the last two years, Aisle's revenue has grown by 70%, while the revenue from newly launched vernacular apps is growing 30% month on month.
by Rakesh Jha
See full article at The Plunge Daily
See the top news on Aisle
See the top news on Anbe
See the top news on Arike
WhiteLabelDating.com Has Reported a 30% Increase in Paying Users Since March
PR NEWSWIRE – Vaccines are giving people the confidence to go out and start meeting new people again. "The rate at which members are subscribing to sites across our network has risen by a third since Q2 this year, when the vaccination programme started," says Ross Williams, CEO of Venntro Media Group. Launched in 2003, Venntro.com is the company behind dating software provider, WhiteLabelDating.com. Empowering brands, marketers and affiliates to run their own online dating sites, White Label Dating provides the dating software, payment processing, customer support and more.
Dating App Swoovy Raised $1.2M
AUSTIN BUSINESS JOURNAL – Austin-based dating app Swoovy has raised $1.2M seed round. Swoovy, co-founded by Brooke Waupsh and Jeff McMahon in 2018, is turning dates into volunteer opportunities. Like Tinder or Bumble, Swoovy matches users who mutually swipe on each other. After matching, the couple can choose a volunteer event with a local nonprofit.
See full article at Austin Business Journal
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.com
OkCupid Introduces Feature in Support of Abortion Rights
NEW YORK TIMES – OkCupid has introduced a way for users to clearly indicate their support of abortion rights: a "pro-choice" badge that appears prominently in a dating profile. The feature was created in response to the passage of Senate Bill 8, which has made abortion illegal in Texas. For every profile that adds the badge, OkCupid will donate $1 to Planned Parenthood. In recent years, OkCupid has offered users different badges to signal their stance on various political issues, including a "Black Lives Matter" badge and a "Voter" badge. In May, the company added an "I'm Vaccinated" badge.
Chinese Province Tries Speed Dating to Retain Graduates
THE WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS – A Chinese province is seeking to encourage students to stay local after graduating by offering to help them find a spouse. Anhui's "marriage assistance project" will include speed-dating events for university-leavers designed to "increase the successful rate of marriage matching", according to an announcement by the province. The province also plans to publish magazines on love, marriage and family, run a digital dating platform on WeChat and form a network of volunteers according to local media.
by Jing Lu
See full article at The World University Rankings
Mark Brooks: Marriage rates and birth rates are falling. I think we'll see more instances of Government interventions to spur on dating and matchmaking initiatives in the future. For example, Singapore have taken an active interesting in encouraging matchmaking businesses in the past. Iran has Hamdam, a state approved dating app. (See July 2021 news).
DOWN Hookup & Dating App Introduces New Feature
TECH ROUND – In September 2021, the DOWN Hookup & Dating App introduced "Snap Match," a quick-matching feature that randomly connects users globally. This feature was developed in response to increased user loneliness during the pandemic, contributing to the app's significant growth in revenue and user numbers. "Snap Match" has been widely adopted, with 71% of members using it shortly after joining. The app focuses on facilitating real personal connections and plans to enhance "Snap Match" with new features like conversation icebreakers. DOWN aims to provide a platform for both casual hookups and serious relationships in a sex-positive environment.
