NY DAILY NEWS – May 26 – The mastermind behind the app, which helps pair Facebook friends seeking casual sex partners, is a 28-year-old Ivy League grad with a computer science degree. Colin Hodge's identity and that of co-founder Omri Mor were unveiled during Internet Week. They had remained anonymous as the popularity of their app increased. More than 1M people use the site, Hodge said, and it has put ~200,000 "couples" in touch.
by Victoria Taylor
See full article at NY Daily News
TECH CRUNCH – May 17 – Less than ten days after Bang With Friends made its mobile debut on the iOS App Store, Apple has seemingly changed its mind and given it the boot. The guys behind the app tried to chaste things up a bit for Apple, changing the name for the iOS to “BWF". The Android app, meanwhile, is still just “Bang With Friends”. A page put up by the team says they’re “working with Apple to get BWF back in the App Store shortly”.
HUFFINGTON POST – Bang With Friends (BWF) uses Facebook to facilitate casual hookups, prompting discussions about its impact on social media. The app connects users with friends interested in casual encounters, highlighting a shift towards more direct interactions. With 100K hookups reported, BWF’s rapid rise demonstrates its appeal. While some see this as a natural evolution of social media, others believe it challenges traditional notions of building relationships. As BWF expands to include LGBT matching and measures online sex appeal, it reflects the dynamic and evolving nature of social media in meeting diverse user needs.
MASHABLE – May 1 – Bang With Friends is going mobile and raised $1 million this week. The site's co-founder, who goes by C, said "we're taking it mobile soon." BWF was started January by some shy founders, is nearing 1m users and about 200,000 matches. ~70% of users are between the age of 18 and 34.
by Adam Popescu
See full article at Mashable
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OPW INTERVIEW – Apr 30 – This is a very unusual interview. The CEO wanted to be anonymous. Bang With Friends is growing fast. Here’s their story… – Mark Brooks
When will Facebook be buying Bang With Friends?
I'm not sure they can afford us.
How much is it?
The rumors may or may not be true, but you'll have to ask them for more comments.
Well there was a post I saw and the price was $30 million.
Let's just say we’re in private talks.
Why anonymous?
We're anonymous because we started as a side project. It was a little joke and it's taken off on its own. We were working on other startups at the time and we didn't want to compromise those.
How many are on the founding team?
Three.
Who came up with the idea initially?
It was a team effort between all three of us. We started asking why is online dating so dishonest and so frustrating? Especially for Generation Y. We wanted to make something simple that allows you to straightforwardly say what you were into and what your intentions were. The most obvious case is finding friends with benefits.
So it sounds like you weren’t a fan of internet dating. What sites would you say are your least and most favorite? Are there any which have inspired you? Or inspired you to improve on?
The big guys don't really fit well with what we're doing as a younger generation. Even the new upstarts that we've seen haven't really gotten straight to the point like we have, and taken such an unabashed and simple approach.
How well has Bang With Friends been received by Facebook corporate?
We have a good relationship with Facebook. Of course they are careful with their brand, and we're working with them to make sure that everybody is happy.
You've got 820,000 users and 200,000 couples matched, which seems very high. How do you get so many couples?
A lot of it comes from the safety we provide. Since everybody that you're seeing is a friend of yours, you're much more likely to be interested in them and meet up with them. Also everybody has at least a few friends that they've always had an eye on.
Can you tell us your latest numbers?
We are definitely north of that 200,000 matches. I believe we are at around 880,000 signups now.
How successful is your app? And take that as you will.
We're happy just enabling more people to bang.
You have to have a sense of humor to use the app.
You need a sense of humor and it definitely plays toward the younger generation and the recognition of how important sex is.
How do you make money?
We don't. We're not worried about making money right now. We're all about the customer.
But you have some aspirations to make money, surely?
I'm sure we'll have some stuff coming out that helps us keep things going, but for the most part our goals here are staying focused on creating success for our users. We know that will drive our business forward.
Where will you be in 12 month's time with Bang With Friends?
You will see us move beyond just banging and beyond your friend group.
So Hang With Friends to go with Bang With Friends?
I can say it will be more generalized. More ways to meet up rather than strictly hook-ups.
WSJ – Apr 9 – The past few months have seen a slew of new dating apps launch, eager to cash in on the success of Tinder. The app seems to have taken off. First a hit on college campuses, the app now boasts ~20K downloads a day and ~1.5 billion profiles ranked. Another app named Bang With Friends advertises that with their Facebook-based app, you can “anonymously find friends who are down for the night.” WouldLove2 allows you to choose which of your friends you might be interested in dating by putting them in your “locker.” If they in turn select you for their “locker,” you’re both contacted. EmbarrassNot allows you to choose four options: Labeling your friends with one heart means “I’d like to go on a date with this person,” Two hearts means “I’d like an Advanced relationship with this person,” Three hearts, “I’d like to start a family with this person,” and the broken heart – “I’d like to break up with this person.” Dating apps are catching on precisely because they’re so practical.
by Eric Sasson
See full article at WSJ
BUSINESS INSIDER – Apr 2 – Bang With Friends, a three-month-old Facebook app that helps users find friends who want to hook up is gaining a lot traction. BWF has amassed ~820K users and has 200K pairs, which is what happens when two people agree to meet in person. 70% of BWF's users are between the ages of 18 and 34.
TECH2 – Apr 2 – It looks like it is time for Facebook to immerse itself into the world of dating. Rumours have emerged that Facebook might be mulling over buying controversial app Bang With Friends. The purchase of Bang With Friends will officially mark Facebook’s foray into the world of online dating. Using the app, users can figure out people in your friend list who could potentially be up for sexual encounters. Facebook also apparently tried to clone the product before approaching the founders of Bang With Friends. Yahoo too seems to have Bang with Friends on its radar as a possible acquisition.
by Nishtha Kanal
The full article was originally published at Tech2, but is no longer available.
THE DAILY BEAST – Bang With Friends, a controversial Facebook app designed to help users find casual hookups, has rapidly grown to 700K users, facilitating 130K matches. Initially criticized for its narrow focus and lack of inclusivity, the app's creators have expanded features to include all sexual orientations and improved discretion. CEO "C" revealed plans to evolve the app into a broader dating tool, promoting more honest interactions and offline connections. Despite the app's graphic imagery and sexual branding, the team aims to attract a wider audience and enhance its functionality beyond just casual encounters.
SF GATE – Feb 13 – Bang With Friends is a controversial app that, is supposed to be no-nonsense way to learn which of your friends is interested in having sex. The app lists Facebook friends, allowing a choice of males, females or both. Clicking a "Down to Bang" button below each profile picture sends a message. Both sides are notified only if the prospective banger responds, and then it's game on.