KVUE – Aug 10 – Chappy, an app for gay dating and friendship, moved operations to Austin. The relocation will allow Chappy to tap into the marketing and operational resources of Bumble, allowing quicker growth.
Category: Chappy
Chappy and Bumble Team up for Pride 2019
PATCH.COM – Aug 1 – Chappy and Bumble have teamed up for Austin PRIDE 2019 to feature programming that focuses on the connection needs of the LGBTQIA+ community next week. Both platforms will host public events including a PRIDE Ride at LOVE Cycling Studio, an after-party featuring an appearance from Drag Performer Alyssa Edwards, and more.
Bumble Now Lets Users Call Their Matches Without Exchanging Numbers
TECH CRUNCH – June 29 – The feature is double opt-in, meaning users won't get a video call from some rando the second that they match with them. Instead, users will see an icon inside their chat that they can tap on to enable the features that move beyond text. Bumble parent company MagicLab plans to bring voice and video calls to its other dating apps (Badoo, Chappy, Lumen) as well.
Gay Dating App Chappy Launches New Friend Finder Mode
GAYTIMES – June 21 – Chappy has launched a new feature called Friend Mode for users to meet friends, to mentor or be mentored. Just like in Date Mode, users must both swipe right on each other to initiate a conversation.
Bumble Owner, Facing off With Tinder, Boosts Spending
WALL STREET JOURNAL – June 14 – "We're looking for the big, big monsters who can partner with me", said Andrey Andreev, the Russian billionaire behind Bumble. He plans to spend $100M creating an array of new dating apps, part of an expansion and revamp of the privately held holding company that also owns Lumen, a dating app for over 50s, and gay-dating app Chappy. Last year, Match offered to acquire Mr. Andreev's group of companies, but Mr. Andreev declined, according to people familiar with the matter. The deal talks valued the umbrella group at ~$1B.
by Parmy Olson
See full article at Wall Street Journal
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Bumble’s Louise Troen on Censoring Dick Pics Using AI
THE NEXT WEB – May 9 – Bumble has recently introduced AI to automatically censor unsolicited dick pics to make online dating for women a safer and friendlier space. Starting in June, users of dating apps including Bumble, Badoo, Chappy, and Lumen will have access to the AI-based tool "Private Detector." The tool, which allegedly has a 98% accuracy in spotting nudes, will warn users of an image it deems as "lewd" or offensive. "Putting women's safety first is out top priority," says Louise Troen, Bumble's VP of Internal Marketing and Communications in the UK. "We have 1000s of moderators, all around the world, looking for it. AI is built into Bumble that can monitor and find images like this."
Badoo & Bumble’s “Private Detector” Uses AI to Detect Dick Pics
TECH CRUNCH – Apr 25 – "Private Detector" feature will identify inappropriate photos and label them as such in chat, giving users the option to view the photo or report the user. Badoo CEO Andrey Andreev opted to have his team build the tech in-house. The company claims 98% accuracy. This feature fits into something Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd has been promoting – safe online dating for women with less harassment. Wolfe Herd has started approaching the issue of unsolicited illicit photos from a legislative track as well. She has been working with the Texas state legislature to pass a bill that makes it illegal to send clearly unsolicited lewd photos. The "Private Detector" functionality goes live in June on Bumble as well as on Badoo, Chappy and Lumen.
by Lucas Matney
See full article at Tech Crunch
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38% of Gay & Bi Men Want Dating Apps to Filter for Race
LGBT NATION – Jan 19 – According to Chappy's latest survey, 38% of the 500 British men surveyed by the app want dating apps to allow them to filter their potential partners by race. 27% of those responding consider race to be an issue when they seek out a partner. The survey was done in partnership with the BAME LGBT Charity, which works to empower and celebrate queer people of color throughout the UK. Chappy has no plans to add filtering by race, however.
Interview with Adam Cohen-Aslatei, Managing Director of Chappy
OPW INTERVIEW – Nov 30 – Adam Cohen-Aslatei recently became Chappy's new Managing Director. (see news). A Harvard grad with 5 years at The Meet Group, he's powering up Chappy to become a leader in the gay dating space. – Mark Brooks
What brought you to Chappy and why do you want to help grow Chappy?
I've always been interested in networking and relationship building. Back when I was in graduate school I started a speed dating event series backed by an algorithmic technology. The majority of my career has focused on advertising technology and dating, so when this opportunity was presented, to reinvent and redefine gay dating, I jumped at the chance.
This mission is very personal for me. I came out later in life and I wish I had had access to an app like this. I believe everyone in our community deserves a better way to meet new people and build relationships in an environment that uplifts and empowers. This is the foundation and ambition of Chappy.
What is the most frustrating pain point in online gay dating?
Over and over we hear stories from guys about encountering discrimination, cat-fishing, or just general bad treatment on gay dating apps. Endless torso scrolling and anonymous profiles lead to a lack of accountability and a feeling of being in the shadows. All of our profiles feature a face and a name. Our bios are descriptive and we have a zero tolerance for hate and discrimination. All Chappy members sign a pledge to treat people with kindness and respect. All profiles are verified, stamping out cat-fishing. In a nutshell, we provide a clean environment from which to build relationships with real people.
Can you tell us about the new "Cute & Sexy" scale, and what it does to empower users?
The scale allows our guy to find the type of relationship he's looking for. The type of experience doesn't define the guy, and the same guy may want something Sexy one day and something Cute the next. We consider "Sexy" something that's bold and adventurous, that can be short term or not, but always memorable. Something "Cute" is sweet and could go the distance. This mood based scale empowers our community to find what they're looking for without judgement. We want to help gay guys find great, meaningful relationships for now, or forever.
How is Chappy working to be an ally for the LGBT community?
From the beginning, Chappy's mission included a commitment to building a stronger community. We take that mission seriously and we put our money where our mouth is. We recently started a new partnerships with GLAAD, which has become a fixture of our app, called Chats for Charity. Chappy will make a donation for each new chat session initiated on our platform – and these funds will help support global gay voices. So not only are we building real relationships within our community each day, but our members are also helping the community at-large.
We are finalizing a number of additional partnerships with organizations that build awareness, tolerance, and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, and look forward to announcing them soon.
Can you tell us a bit about Chats for Charity and how it works?
Chats for Charity is an easy way for our community to engage with our product while also supporting global gay voices. For each new chat sessions initiated on the platform, Chappy will make a donation to GLAAD. The funds are unrestricted, meaning that GLAAD has the flexibility to allocate them to both urgent issues and long term projects. We need to work together, individuals and companies, if we ever want to end discrimination, intolerance, and prejudice.
What does Chappy do to make sure user are safe to keep the community authentic?
All profiles are verified and profile pictures must contain a face. All of our members must sign the Chappy Pledge, a pact to be kind and respectful, and a vow to not discriminate. We elevate the barrier to register on the app, but that means that guys who are serious about meeting other guys and building meaningful relationships are on the app.
Our algorithm finds the best match for you and a mutual match must occur before anyone starts chatting, increasing the quality of the potential connection. I am always impressed to find such high quality guys on the app, amazing artists, Ivy League students, doctors, advocates, athletes and adventure seekers to name a few. Every kind of guy is on the app, and that's what makes our community so amazing.
What advice would you give to new Chappy user?
I would tell him to be honest, open and authentic. Whether he is looking for something fun and immediate or long term and lasting, he deserves to be treated with respect and with kindness. I believe that we each have a responsibility in our community to uplift each other and treat others the way we want to be treated. Now get ready to meet a great guy!
Gay Dating App Chappy Hires New Managing Director
GAY STAR BUSINESS – Nov 18 – Back in September, gay dating app Chappy relaunched. The sibling app of Bumble, where women must make the first move, Chappy hopes to empower gay men in a similar way. With the relaunch, users can specify the type of relationship they're looking for. Adam Cohen-Aslatei recently became Chappy's new Managing Director. "Our industry tends to have few gay leaders in top positions, and that's one reason I am so honored to be in this role," he said. 'We believe everyone in our community deserves a better way to meet new people and build relationships,' Cohen-Aslatei states of Chappy's goals. 'We also solve some of the most frustrating gay dating pain point. Endless torso scrolling is dead. All of our profile pictures feature a face and a name. Our bios are descriptive and we have a zero tolerance for hate and discrimination. All Chappy members sign a pledge to treat people with kindness and respect. Also, all profiles are verified.'
