Month: August 2024

Former Clubhouse Employees Launch “Why?!”, a New Social App to Combat Loneliness

Posted on August 8, 2024

Why App logo
TECH CRUNCH – Former Clubhouse employees Maya Watson and Lexi Nisita have launched why?!, a new social app combining messaging, networking, and dating features to address the "loneliness epidemic." The app, inspired by their professional experiences at Netflix and Clubhouse, aims to foster deep, trustworthy relationships through interactive elements like question card games and Facetime-like chats. Why?! recently secured $1.65M in pre-seed funding led by Precursor Ventures, with support from investors including Barclays Black Foundation and Clubhouse's CTO. Currently in private beta, the app plans to officially launch in the fall, with the team focused on expanding its engineering support as it grows.

by Dominic-Madori Davos
See full article at Tech Crunch

This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.com

Club Pillar Is a New Sober-Focused Dating App

Posted on August 8, 2024

Club Pillar logoPR NEWSWIRE – Club Pillar, a new membership-based dating app centered on sobriety, is launching with a waitlist of ~5K people. Founded by Jessie Urvater, the app caters to younger generations interested in sober and sober-curious lifestyles. A survey shows that 65% of Millennials and Gen Zers prefer dry dates, reflecting a shift in dating preferences. Launching in New York and Los Angeles, Club Pillar offers Basic and Premium memberships for online and in-person events. Bill Alena, known for his work with Meetgroup, joins as an advisor, bringing expertise in strategic growth and innovation.

See full article at PR Newswire

Internet Dating Jobs Listing Update – August 2024

Posted on August 8, 2024

Internet dating jobs logoOPW – The new Internet dating jobs listing is live on the Internet Dating Jobs blog.

Below see a couple of this month's most interesting offers:

ParshipMeet Group
  Legal Counsel

FriendFinder Networks
  Creative Program Manager

DOWN
  Social Apps Marketing Director

Grindr
  Senior Director, Corporate Communications

Match Group
  Director, Senior Counsel, EMEA

Social Discovery Group
  VP Finance

Tawkify
  Sr Director, Growth Marketing

Tinder
  Sr. Director, Product Design

To see more open positions go here.

Do you have an idating industry job offer which is not included? Please, send it to tips@onlinepersonalswatch.com and we will add it to the list.

Niche Dating Apps Gain Popularity, Offering Fresh Alternatives to Hinge and Bumble

Posted on August 7, 2024

Her logoFAST COMPANY – Smaller dating apps like HER, Feeld, and Happn are gaining traction by serving niche communities and offering alternatives to major apps like Bumble and Hinge. "They're not designed to be first-tier," says Eric Resnick, an online dating coach. "They're just designed to serve their niche really well." HER, targeting queer women and nonbinary individuals, boasts 15M users and is experiencing what founder Robyn Exton calls a "sapphic renaissance." Match Group operates community-based apps such as Archer, BLK, Chispa, and Upward. Happn, a French app, connects users who frequent the same locations, appealing to those tired of endless swiping. Feeld, popular among nonmonogamous users, allows users to list intimacy preferences and has seen significant growth among Gen Z.

by Henry Chandonnet
See full article at Fast Company

Breaking News: Venntro Media Goes Into Receivership in UK

Posted on August 6, 2024

WhiteLabelDating logoOPW – The company that is now called Venntro Media (since 2015), which used to be called Global Personals and operates White Label Dating, is in administration in the UK. The administration process may take a year before the company can be deemed bankrupt. CEO/founder Ross Williams was not available for public comment, per insolvency laws in the UK. The company operated an extensive network of White Label Dating services and included its own brands under JustSingles.com. In February 2023 it also spun up an ad company, Red Path Media. In April 2024, they gave 30 days notice to their White Label Dating affiliates and in May announced that they were going to move away from white labeling and move to a SAAS platform provider model. See all our prior news summaries on White Label Dating / Venntro / Global Personals here. Affiliates are burned. A new company, Ambervine, will take on Venntro's assets. Ross has some involvement/stake in Ambervine.

Indian Dating App Juleo Raises $2.5M

Posted on August 6, 2024

Juleo icon
BW DISRUPT – Juleo, an exclusive club for singles, raised $2.5M in an angel funding round from 180+ prominent investors, including notable figures like Ramakant Sharma of Livspace and Kunal Shah of CRED. Inspired by traditional Indian matchmaking, Juleo aims to address online dating and matchmaking challenges in India by promoting responsible and genuine connections.

See full article at BW Disrupt

This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.com

BLK Dating App Teams up With Michelle Obama’s ‘When We All Vote’ to Empower Young Black Voters

Posted on August 5, 2024

Blk iconESSENCE – BLK, a dating app for the Black community, has partnered with Michelle Obama's "When We All Vote" to launch the #ElectionSZN campaign. The campaign aims to increase voter participation among young Black voters. It includes a voter registration portal, in-app voting prompts, and an "Election Mode" to match users based on voting preferences.

by Kimberly Wilson
See full article at Essence

See the top news on BLK

Top 5 Dating News for the Last Two Weeks, Thru Sun 4th August

Posted on August 4, 2024

OPW – Here are the top five news items for the online dating industry for the two week period ending Sunday 4th of August. Please subscribe and hit the notifications button to get updates when we post news updates. This week we cover news on Match revenues, new features on Hinge, industry trends, an interesting study by Parship and a pop-up museum in London.

See the video here on Youtube.

4.8.24

Announcing LTR Edition 34 With Colin Hodge (co-founder & CEO of DOWN Dating app), and Eric Resnick (founder of ProfileHelper.com)

Posted on August 4, 2024

LTR logo for social mediaOPW – Edition 34 of the LTR (Love, Tech, Relationships) online experience will be on Wednesday, August 14th at 1pm EST (New York time).

In this edition, we will hear from Colin Hodge, co-founder and CEO of the DOWN Dating app, who will engage in a fireside chat with Mark Brooks. Then, Eric Resnick, author, online dating expert, and founder of ProfileHelper.com, will present "How to Fix the Dating Industry."

If you hold a full-time leadership role at an Internet dating company, you are welcome to join IDEA and LTR events for free.

See the LTR Edition 34 speakers and invite page here

Email mark@courtlandbrooks.com to RSVP.

This LTR is kindly sponsored by ParshipMeet Group, RealMe, and Dating Through Curiosity, along with Courtland Brooks and Matchmaker.com.

Daniel Salmon – an Industry Analysis and Discussion of AI Applications in Dating

Posted on August 2, 2024

LTR – Daniel Salmon, the US Internet Research Head at New Street Research, discusses the state of the online dating market, highlighting key insights and trends. Since joining New Street Research in 2022, after an 18-year tenure at BMO Capital Markets, Daniel has focused on analyzing tech, media, and telecom industries. He provides a comprehensive update on how public companies like Match, Bumble, and Grindr are performing, especially in the context of Gen Z's evolving dating preferences. Daniel also touches on the financial aspects, including payer growth, revenue, and the impact of AI on online dating platforms. He emphasizes the challenges and opportunities in the sector, particularly the importance of adapting to Gen Z's unique needs and the potential for growth in emerging markets.

The June LTR was kindly sponsored by ParshipMeet Group, RealMe, along with Courtland Brooks and Matchmaker.com