Month: September 2021
Bumble Shares Dip After Hours on Secondary Stock Offering
MARKETWATCH – Bumble's shares fell 3.4% after hours to $55.78 after the dating app company said that an affiliate of Blackstone will offer the public 15M shares of the company. Bumble doesn't intend to sell any of its shares and won't receive proceeds from the sale. However, it will incur some costs associated with the sale, the company said.
Tinder Adds Explore Section to Dating App
WALL STREET JOURNAL – Tinder is introducing a section called Explore that will make it easier for users to find matches based partly on their interests. The Explore section includes 15 types of interests, such as "foodies," "gamers," and "animal parents." Different interests will surface to users depending on their locations, the time of day and their own passions. It is available to Tinder users in the U.S., U.K, Australia and New Zealand to start.
by Ann-Marie Alcántara
See full article at Wall Street Journal
Blued Launches Super Idol Talent Competition
PR NEWSWIRE – The gay social networking and dating app Blued is launching "Super Idol," a talent competition to showcase LGBTQ+ talents from around the globe. The grand winner, as well as active audiences, both stand a chance to win cash prizes of up to $22K. To join, aspiring contestants must post their entries on their social media, tag the official Blued account, and have prior access to Blued Live. Auditions run from Sep 6 to 8, 2021.
Lawyr.me – “Tinder” for Lawyers
LAW.COM – Lawyr.me dating app is marketed "for lawyers and the people who want to date them." The app was created by Matthew Rhodes, a former lawyer who worked for multinational law firm Ashurst, in London. According to Lawyr.me, the site serves attorneys, law students, judges and others in the sector, as well as singles who'd like to date them. It is free to sign up for the app, but it costs ~$7 a month if members want extra features, including being able to see who 'likes' and views their profile.
Chinese AIG Claims 350M Registered Users
GLOBAL CHINA DAILY – Asia Innovations Group (AIG), a global operator of mobile social platforms and services, is mainly focusing on emerging markets, including the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia (especially India and Pakistan), Southeast Asia, the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, with 12 offices across the globe. Founded in 2013, AIG offers a rich product portfolio that mainly covers video social, social dating and social fandom. As of March 31, it had ~350M registered users. Uplive, a live video social platform, allows viewers to broadcast and view real-time videos. The app has ~200M registered users. Lamour, which offers video dating, voice and text messages and mini-games, was the most downloaded mobile dating app in emerging markets last year. At present, the majority of AIG's revenue comes from virtual gifts.
by Fan Feifei
See full article at Global China Daily
This post also appears on Very Social Network
GDI London: Confirmed Speakers
OPW – It's been quite a while since the dating industry got together IRL. In March 2019 there was a GDI conference in New York, along with an IDEA SUMMIT, and Global Love Conference. Three back-to-back conferences, and then the pandemic hit. Now, after over two years GDI is back, in London, on Thursday 23rd September. Geoff Cook, the co-CEO of ParshipMeet Group will be speaking (virtually). I'll be speaking (virtually) (my bio). Bill Alena is there (IRL), CIO and head of M&A for The Dating Group. Also Masha Kodden, who is MD of Inner Circle will be speaking. Pick up your tix for London here.
Match Group Asks Dutch Regulators to Reveal Possible Apple Antitrust Decision
Why Kippo CEO David Park Sees Social Gaming as the New Way to Date
DOT.LA – Kippo, a startup that makes a dating app for gamers was created by an ex-Wall Street trader and Raya engineer whose codes helped predict the success of stocks. But David Park said Kippo doesn't believe in algorithms. The dating app for gamers lets users sign up to create profiles where they can highlight their favorite games, astrology signs and their type of personality. Matched users can chat and play games with each other. Although it's free, there's a $9.99 premium version. Park, an avid gamer, said he thought gaming and dating were a perfect match. Gamers already loved to interact online. They don't want to play alone. Gaming with someone takes the pressure off of dating. It's a shared experience. Last year, Kippo raised a $2M seed funding. It's using the cash to revamp the app. with the emphasis on 'experience'.
Match Shares Jump on S&P 500 Addition
YAHOO FINANCE – Match Group is getting added to the broader stock market index, and its shares are soaring 9% in response during extended-hours trading. The changes in the S&P 500 are part of the index's quarterly shufflings based on the latest market activity. In order for Match to keep their spot, it must maintain a minimum market cap of $13.1B. Match shouldn't have any trouble as it currently boasts a market cap of $41B.