Category: Bumble

Whitney Wolfe Herd Returns as Bumble CEO to Revive Growth

Posted on March 19, 2025
Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd

CNBC TV – Whitney Wolfe Herd returns as Bumble’s CEO in March 2025 after stepping down in 2021, replacing Lidiane Jones, who resigned after just over a year. Wolfe Herd, who co-founded Tinder before launching Bumble in 2014, made history by taking the company public in 2021. Under her leadership, Bumble became a major online dating player, emphasizing women making the first move. Her return comes as Bumble faces declining stock value (down nearly 54% in the past year) and increasing competition. With 4.1M paying users in 2024 (up 11.5%), the company is looking to regain momentum and improve user trust.

by Dhea Eapen
See full article at CNBC TV

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AI Is Changing Online Dating With Smarter Matches and Better Conversations

Posted on March 17, 2025
AI Is Changing Online Dating With Smarter Matches and Better Conversations

BBC – AI is being integrated into dating apps to help users craft bios, refine conversations, and suggest date ideas, with Match Group investing in AI-driven features to improve interactions. Despite concerns, over one in ten UK adults use online dating services, making it the most popular way to meet partners. While Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, and Grindr saw a drop in UK users between May 2023 and May 2024, dating apps continue to play a major role in modern relationships. AI tools aim to streamline the dating process, reduce awkward first interactions, and help users find compatible matches more efficiently. Meanwhile, a growing trend toward in-person dating events suggests that the future of dating will blend technology with real-world connections.

by Julia Bryson
See full article at BBC

AI Is Transforming India’s Matrimony Industry

Posted on March 13, 2025
Logo of Betterhalf.ai

THE WALRUS – India has ~1,500 matrimony platforms, a market worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Betterhalf.ai, launched in 2016, competes with Shaadi.com, Jeevansathi, and Matrimony.com by using AI for matchmaking without parental involvement. Traditional arranged marriages still dominate, with 90% of Indian marriages arranged, and on Shaadi.com, 40–50% of profiles are managed by parents. Matrimony.com, India’s largest publicly listed matrimony platform, had a market value of ~$16M and annual revenue of $57M, 850K subscribers, and ~100K successful matches as of 2021. Betterhalf.ai, founded by MIT graduates Gupta and Namdev, has 1M monthly users and a 30% paid subscriber retention rate, outperforming Bumble, Hinge, and Tinder (10% retention). In March 2023, it raised $8.5M from investors, including Instagram and Dropbox co-founders. The company plans to evolve into a “marriage super app,” offering wedding services, pregnancy support, and more.

by Mihika Agarwal
See full article at The Walrus

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How Marketing & Gamification Derailed the Dating Industry

Posted on March 11, 2025
A smartphone screen displaying various dating app icons, including Tinder, Bumble, OkCupid

THE CURRENCY – The dating industry is at a crossroads. User growth has plateaued. Apps paired addictive features with culturally resonant marketing. Tinder is synonymous with modern dating. Bumble is the feminist alternative. The pandemic was a renaissance for dating apps. “Never were people more aware of their singleness than during Covid. There was this horrible effect, this extended period where people were acutely aware they were alone,” noted Mark Brooks, a veteran strategic advisor to the dating industry. “We’re now seeing a return to pre-pandemic growth patterns, but without the same user enthusiasm,” he added.

Swiping prioritizes quantity over quality, with endless matches but few meaningful connections. This gamified approach led to singles criticizing for failing to deliver genuine connection. Court cases have tarnished the industry, and allegations of fake profiles and data misuse deepened consumer mistrust, leading to disillusionment and “dating fatigue”. Thursday hosts casual mixers and quirky speed-dating sessions and announced the closure of its core app, citing “rapidly declining consumer interest in dating apps” and is “doubling down” on in-real-life dating. Mark Brooks’s take is: “Thursday is drawing people who are real-world-oriented, not so inclined towards online dating.”

A lack of innovation has left the door wide open for social media platforms to enter the arena. Blazr, for the cannabis-friendly community, is a prime example, with 130k users. FarmersOnly caters to rural daters. The platforms that succeed will be those that prioritize meaningful connections, position themselves as lifestyle brands, and rebuild consumer trust.

by Andrea Linehan
See full article at The Currency

Mark Brooks: This will be the hot topic at the upcoming Global Dating Insights conference in NYC on Wed 19th March, and at the LTR (Love, Technology, Relationships) online mini-conference on Wed 2nd April.

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Bumble Appoints New CFO

Posted on March 3, 2025

Bumble Ronald FiorREUTERS – Ronald Fior has been named interim CFO of Bumble, effective March 15. He takes over from Anu Subramanian, who is stepping down next month. Fior, a partner at FLG Partners, has extensive CFO experience and currently serves as a consultant to Bumble, a role he will continue alongside his CFO duties.

See full article at Reuters

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Bumble Sunsets Acquired Apps, Fruitz and Official, to Cut Costs

Posted on February 21, 2025

Fruitz logoTECH CRUNCH – Bumble is discontinuing its two acquired apps, the dating and relationship apps Fruitz and Official. The move was shared during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call. As explained by CEO Lidiane Jones during the call, the choice to discontinue Fruitz, a French dating app, and Official, an app designed to help couples strengthen their relationships, allows the company to focus on its core businesses, Bumble and Badoo.

by Lauren Forristal
See full article at Tech Crunch

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Bumble Has Lost 92% of Is Value in 4 Years

Posted on February 21, 2025

BumbleBUSINESS INSIDER – Bumble's stock plunged 28% on Wednesday after weak first-quarter guidance disappointed investors, extending a 92% decline since its 2021 peak. Despite a Q4 revenue beat of $261.6M, the company forecasted $242M–$248M in Q1 sales, missing expectations. The drop is attributed to a temporary decline in paying users amid a brand refresh. Dating app fatigue and shifting user habits have made growth challenging, with rival Match Group also seeing a 79% drop since 2021. CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd remains optimistic, citing upcoming innovations aimed at reviving user engagement and revenue.

by Filip De Mott
See full article at Business Insider

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Bumble Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results

Posted on February 19, 2025

Bumble incBUSINESSWIRE – Bumble today reported financial results for the Q4 and full year 2024.

Q4 Highlights:

  • Total Q4 revenue decreased 4.4% to $261.6M, compared to $273.6M.
  • Bumble App Revenue decreased 3.8% to $212.4M, compared to $220.7M.
  • Badoo App and other revenue decreased 6.8% to $49.3M, compared to $52.9M.
  • Total Paying Users increased 5.3% to 4.M, compared to 4M.
  • Operating earnings was $37M.

Full Year 2024 Financial Highlights:

  • Revenue increased 1.9% to $1,071.6M, compared to $1,051.8M.
  • Bumble App Revenue increased 2.5% to $866.3M, compared to $844.8M.
  • Badoo App and other revenue decreased 0.8% to $205.4M, compared to $207.1M.
  • Operating loss was $700.5 M.

See full article at Businesswire

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Dating Apps Losing Users as Young People Find Love in Online Communities

Posted on February 14, 2025

Dating apps picBBC – Young adults are moving away from dating apps and meeting partners through shared-interest platforms like video games, fitness apps, and online communities. Tinder lost 594K users, Bumble dropped by 368K, and Hinge declined by 131K in the UK, according to Ofcom's 2024 report. A 2023 US survey found 79% of Gen Z were using dating apps less frequently. Instead, platforms like Strava (135M users, 20% growth) and Letterboxd (50% growth) are becoming spaces where people naturally form connections. On Strava, 1 in 5 Gen Z users have gone on a date through fitness clubs.

by Fiona Macdonald
See full article at BBC

Bumble Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd to Return as CEO

Posted on January 20, 2025
Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble CEO

CNBC – Whitney Wolfe Herd will return as the company’s CEO in mid-March. She previously stepped down from the role and was replaced by Lidiane Jones, who led Salesforce’s Slack. Jones is resigning as CEO of Bumble for “personal reasons,” Bumble said.

by Ashley Capoot
See full article at CNBC

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