BUMBLE – Bumble has named three new executives as part of its 2025 strategy. Vivek Sagi joins as Chief Technology Officer, bringing global experience in product and engineering. Julie Radford becomes Chief Communications & Corporate Affairs Officer, with a background in public and private sector leadership. Deirdre Runnette is the new Chief Legal Officer, with over 25 years' experience in legal and compliance.
Category: Bumble
Dating Apps Turn to AI to Help Gen Z Users Improve Flirting and Conversation Skills
WIRED – Dating apps are introducing AI-driven tools to help users improve conversation skills and reduce awkward interactions. Tinder launched “The Game Game,” an AI voice simulator that places users in fictional scenarios and offers feedback to boost flirting confidence. Grindr is testing an AI “wingman” powered by Anthropic and AWS, designed to craft witty messages, highlight past connections, and summarize chats. Hinge released a connection guide with fill-in-the-blank templates to help Gen Z users navigate real-life interactions and overcome a fear of appearing “cringey.” Bumble introduced “Instant Match,” which lets users scan QR codes at events to match instantly and view shared interests, bypassing small talk.
by Elana Klein
See full article at Wired
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Feeld Won a Webby Award
LINKEDIN – In May 2024, Bumble faced backlash for an ad campaign that mocked celibacy, featuring slogans like “You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer.” Critics accused the ads of undermining women’s personal choices and promoting patriarchal views. In response, Bumble apologized, removed the ads, and pledged donations to relevant organizations. Seizing the moment, the dating app Feeld collaborated with the agency Mojo Supermarket to introduce a “Celibacy” tag that allowed users to identify as celibate. This real-time response resonated with users, earning Feeld the Webby Award for Best Real-Time Response Campaign.
Bumble Under Fire After Users Report Seeing Blocked Profiles Resurface
ROLLING STONE – Bumble faced backlash after users reported seeing profiles they had previously blocked, prompting safety concerns. Jennie Young, a professor and dating app strategist, shared a support email suggesting blocked users might reappear "in case you changed your mind." A follower tested this by logging out and back in, confirming the same blocked profiles were still visible. Bumble later walked back the claim, stating the original message was inaccurate and that blocked users should not reappear unless they create new accounts.
Bumble CLO Exits After Just 10 Months
LAW.COM – Elizabeth Monteleone has stepped down as Bumble's chief legal officer just 10 months after taking the role. The company has passed the legal reins to Deirdre Runnette, a former general counsel of the online retailer Zulily. Amid sluggish performance, company founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, who'd been CEO until January 2024, returned as CEO in March, replacing Lidiane Jones, who'd made the controversial move to pivot away from the app's women-make-the-first-move strategy, which had differentiated it from other dating apps. Also in March, Anuradha Subramanian resigned as chief financial officer.
Bumble Proves Politics Is No Longer Taboo in Dating
BANDT – Bumble has partnered with political commentator Hannah Ferguson to explore how politics is influencing modern dating in Australia. Ahead of the Federal Election, Ferguson uses poll data from ~7,200 Australians to highlight shifting norms – 80% are comfortable discussing politics on a first date, while 64% believe dating across political lines is impossible. Despite this, 36% remain open to it.
Top Dating Apps by Press Coverage in 2024
OPW – In 2024, we selected and summarized close to 700 of the top news items from the online dating industry. These 10 companies made the most headlines in 2024, driven by leadership changes, product launches, lawsuits, and bold strategic moves:
- Match Group – Topped coverage as Elliott bought a $1B stake, partnered with OpenAI, launched a buyback, and reshuffled leadership.
- Tinder – Named Faye Iosotaluno as CEO, expanded ID verification globally and launched a celeb-only dating app
- Bumble – Cut 350 jobs, launched AI scam detection, bought Geneva, and rethought "women make the first move."
- Hinge – Rolled out chat limits, Hidden Words, and launched a $1M fund to drive in-person Gen Z connections.
- Grindr – Marked 15 years, expanded into long-term dating, saw 85% stock growth, and faced HIV data lawsuits.
- Archer – Surpassed 1M downloads, added selfie verification and AI moderation.
- Feeld – Nearly doubled revenue to £39.5M, rebranded, and launched a magazine on non-traditional relationships.
- Matrimony – Launched MeraLuv and WeddingLoan.com, but faced a major setback as Google removed its apps.
- Muzz – Reached 10M users, debuted Muzz Social, launched matchmaking in Pakistan, and introduced chat limits.
- OkCupid – Turned 20 years old.
Wolfe Herd Returns to Reinvent Bumble as ‘Love Company’
FORTUNE – Whitney Wolfe Herd is back as CEO of Bumble after 14 months away, following a 90% stock drop, user backlash, and leadership missteps. She admits burnout and an "ego death" during her break and now wants to transform Bumble from a dating app into a "Love Company" focused on self-worth, joy, and personal growth. Her new vision? Shift from "women make the first move" to "make the first move for yourself." She plans to add self-help features, like a Duolingo-style coaching tool, and overhaul the app's rejection-heavy dynamics. She's candid about men's struggles on the app and wants Bumble to serve both genders better. Wolfe Herd says she no longer chases external validation or stock price. She's rebranding Bumble around purpose, not pressure – and says the misery in modern dating (and leadership) stops now.
Match Group and Bumble Have New CEOs and a Renewed Safety Focus
BUSINESS INSIDER – Match Group and Bumble have both appointed new CEOs amid leadership shake-ups and struggles with user engagement. Whitney Wolfe Herd has returned as Bumble CEO, replacing Lidiane Jones, who resigned after a year. Several top executives, including Bumble’s CFO and CMO, have also left. Meanwhile, Match Group has named Spencer Rascoff as CEO, marking its fourth leadership change in six years. Both companies face declining stock prices (Match down 11%, Bumble down 54%) and shifting user behavior, with Match’s paying users falling 5% to 9.5M, while Bumble’s rose 11.5% to 4.1M. As Gen Z and women move away from traditional dating apps, both companies are focusing on safety features, AI-driven tools, and real-world dating initiatives to regain trust and engagement.
Bumble Introduces ID Verification and Safety Feature
TECH CRUNCH – Bumble has introduced ID verification to boost user safety, allowing daters to authenticate their identity with a government-issued ID and earn a profile badge. Users can now filter matches based on verification status and request verification from potential dates. The feature is live in multiple countries, including the U.S., U.K., and India, with plans for further expansion. Alongside this, Bumble launched “Share Date” for users to share date details with friends, “Review Before You Send” to flag inappropriate messages before sending, and a new “Discover” page to match users by interests. The updates come as Bumble faces declining revenue and rising concerns over AI-generated fake profiles and romance scams.