DATING NEWS – EliteSingles will shut down on April 30, 2026, giving users only a few days’ notice before all accounts, matches, and messages are permanently deleted. The closure is tied to ongoing financial trouble at its parent company, Spark Networks, which has been going through insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings despite recent restructuring efforts. Other Spark platforms like Christian Mingle and JDate are still operating for now, but their long-term outlook is uncertain.
GLOBE NEWSWIRE – A recent analysis by the cybersecurity platform Business Digital Index (BDI) suggests that many dating apps may have security gaps, with most of the 24 platforms studied receiving poor grades in its scoring system. Only Bumble and EliteSingles scored in the “B” range, while others were marked lower, and some, including Coffee Meets Bagel and Zoosk, received failing grades. The report highlighted recurring weaknesses such as unpatched software, weak email authentication, TLS encryption issues, and web application flaws. BDI notes that its findings are based on external scans of publicly visible systems rather than full internal audits.
WIRTSCHAFTS WOCHE – The MGG Investment Group has acquired Spark Networks, a German online dating provider, for just over 164K euros, becoming its sole shareholder. This acquisition, sanctioned by the Charlottenburg District Court in Berlin, led to a total loss for the current investors of Spark Networks. Spark Networks, offering niche online dating services such as Edarling, Elitesingles, and JDate, has faced financial difficulties in recent years, with losses exceeding $150M since 2020, partly due to cyber-attacks and fraudulent profile registrations. The company's stock, once priced at 14.80EUR on NASDAQ, was delisted at 13c in September 2023 due to impending insolvency. Facing impending insolvency, a legal submission to the Charlottenburg District Court proposed using the StaRUG law for corporate stabilization and restructuring. This law, introduced in 2021, allows companies to avert bankruptcy through restructuring, even if it adversely affects some creditors or shareholders.
by Florian Weyand
See full article at Wirtschafts Woche
See the top news on Spark Networks
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.com
PRESS RELEASE – Mar 4 – A study from EliteSingles has revealed that pandemic dating has given rise to a new relationship milestone: finding a 'bubble bae' to quarantine with. 70% of people say they consider bubble sharing a major sign of commitment, with 69% saying you must be dating exclusively before bubbling up. EliteSingles is designed for successful single professionals seeking a committed, long-term relationship. EliteSingles is part of Spark Networks.
PRESS RELEASE – Aug 27 – Spark Networks, the parent of Zoosk, EliteSingles, Jdate, Christian Mingle, eDarling, JSwipe, and SilverSingles, reported H1 2020 revenue of €103.4, an increase of €54.2M from €49.2M in the H1 of 2019. The increase is primarily attributable to the integration of Zoosk following the Spark Networks / Zoosk Merger in July 2019. Net Loss was €0.4M, an improvement of €4.5M compared to Net Loss of €4.9M in the H1 of 2019. Average paying subscribers increased to 915K in the H1 of 2020, compared to 445K in the same period of 2019.
PRESS RELEASE – Feb 11 – According to a new EliteSingles' study, users whose profiles mention veganism or vegetarianism receive 73% more messages than the average user. The study also revealed that, while the term vegan gives a significant message boost (50% above the average), it's vegetarian that is the big winner, boosting message rates to 108% above average. Veggie sits in the middle, coming with an 62% boost in messages received. EliteSingles is designed for successful single professionals seeking a long-term relationship. EliteSingles is part of Spark Networks SE.
NEWSWEEK – Oct 14 – Dating site Christian Cafe has the best customer service, according to Newsweek rankings, followed by Elite Singles and Bumble. For the second year in a row, Newsweek worked with Statista, the respected global research firm, to collect and analyze data across 160 retail categories.
See all posts on ChristianCafe.com
See all posts on EliteSingles
See all posts on Bumble
BUSINESSWIRE – Aug 8 – Premium dating site EliteSingles asked 300K Americans who should pay on a first day. 63% of men think the man should pay on a first date. Less than half of women (46%) agree. 1-in-5 women (18%) prefer to go Dutch on dates; only 7% of men feel the same.
See all posts on ChristianCafe.com
See all posts on EliteSingles
See all posts on Tinder
PR NEWSWIRE – Aug 30 – For the six months ended June 30, 2018, total revenue was €53M, an increase of ~26% YOY. The growth was attributable to the 34% increase in the number of average paying subscribers. Spark contributed 91.3% of the YOY revenue increase through the addition of Jdate, JSwipe and Christian Mingle following the close of the Affinitas / Spark Merger in Nov 2017. "Our growth strategy remains focused on EliteSingles, Jdate, JSwipe and Christian Mingle, and the recently launched SilverSingles brand," said Jeronimo Folgueira, CEO of Spark Networks SE. Net Loss was €(1.1)M, a €557K reduction compared to the H1 2017.
See full article at PR Newswire