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Month: February 2022
FaceTec’s Revenue Grew 217% in Q4 2021
FIND BIOMETRICS – FaceTec, industry-leading 3D face verification software, reported its Q4 2021. Revenues for the Q4 were up 217% YOY; for the full fiscal year, revenue growth was up 246%. "Our outstanding performance in 2021 is a clear indicator that our unique 3D approach to remote digital identity is resonating globally," commented FaceTec CEO Kevin Alan Tussy.
Apple to Charge 27% Fee for Dutch Dating Apps Using Alternative Payment Options
TECH CRUNCH – Earlier today, Apple updated its documentation page that explains how developers of dating apps can take advantage of alternative payment systems in the Netherlands. It's a fairly technical document. But it also says that Apple plans to charge a commission to app developers. Essentially, developers get a 3% cut on the App Store commission as Apple doesn't handle transactions. But the company still thinks it's fair to charge a 27% commission for the various services that it offers. If you're an app developer with users in multiple countries, which is pretty common with dating apps, you can't submit the same app binary. Development teams will have to compile and submit two different binaries – a Dutch app and a non-Dutch app. Apple wants to make it as difficult and expensive as possible to use a third-party payment system. Chances are most developers will just keep using Apple's in-app purchase API.
Courtland Brooks AMA
OPW – Courtland Brooks agency-consultancy has been advising dating, online social communities and best-in-class vendors since 2005. I've (Mark Brooks) worked in the business since 1996 and have worked with 120 clients at this stage, including the CEOs of PlentyofFish (sold to Match), friend.ly (sold to Facebook), SD Ventures, and now The Meet Group, Fitafy, FaceTec. Please send me your burning questions. I'll pick a question a month to run a video response on. Please email me your industry / business questions to mark@courtlandbrooks.com and we'll choose something to advise on.
Dating News Headlines: Apple
Quick links to today's dating news headlines.
A Conversation With Jackie Jantos, Hinge’s New CMO
MORNING BREW – Jackie Jantos has been preparing for her new role in more ways than one. With experience at companies like Ogilvy, Coca-Cola, and Spotify, Jantos is also an online dating success story: She met her husband on Match.com. Right now, Hinge only captures ~2.5% of the global dating app market share, but Hinge claims it's the fastest-growing dating app in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. This year, Jantos said, the company will localize its language offerings in countries like Germany and Sweden. Right now, the app is available in those countries, but only in English. Another one of Jantos's tasks for the year is growing its Gen Z and LGBTQ+ audiences in the US. She won't say what features might come next, but says the company continues to focus on how to help users "express themselves in different and unique ways," adding that users should expect updates to profile development this year.
Voice – the New Secret to Online Dating Success
WALL STREET JOURNAL – Dating apps are giving users the ability to add voice recordings to their profiles. Last October, Hinge added Voice Prompts to its user profiles. "~65% of our users were saying getting to hear someone's voice earlier on in the dating journey would be really valuable," said Michelle Parsons, chief product officer at Hinge. In June 2021, Tinder gave users the ability to add video recordings – including voice – to their profiles. The League dating app did the same back in December 2019. A quarter of League users are taking advantage of the technology.
by Kathryn O'Shea-Evans
See full article at Wall Street Journal
See the top news on Hinge
See the top news on Tinder
See the top news on The League
Hinge Offering $100 Child Care Stipends to Single Parents in Time for Valentine’s Day
Dating News Headlines: Eat Cute, Hinge
Quick links to today's dating news headlines.
- Shake Shack and DoorDash Launch a Limited-time Dating Site - MarketWatch
- Dating App Hinge Offering $100 Child Care Stipends to Single Parents in Time for Valentine's Day – Fox Business
- A Conversation With Jackie Jantos, Hinge's New CMO – Protocol
- China's Growing Number of Older Singles Are Following the Young and Turning to Online Dating to Find Companionship – SCMP
Match Hopes Hinge Can Be Its Knight in Shining Armor
WALL STREET JOURNAL – Match Group reported mixed Q4 results on Tuesday with adjusted operating income coming in just above Wall Street's estimate, while both Tinder revenue and total revenue growth fell slightly short of analysts' expectations. Match attributed the revenue shortfall to foreign exchange and lingering effects of Omicron. Match talked more about relationship app Hinge. Match now says Hinge did just under $200M in revenue last year and forecasts that revenue would grow to ~$300M this year. Hinge's payers increased ~60% in the Q4 quarter versus the same period of 2019 with revenue per payer growing ~300% over that period.