Category: Grindr

Grindr Ends Talks on $3.46 Billion Take-private Bid Over Financing Uncertainty

Posted on November 24, 2025
Grindr

REUTERS – Grindr has ended talks on a $3.46B take-private offer from its major shareholders Ray Zage and James Lu after they failed to provide clear financing details. The stock fell ~12% after the announcement. Grindr says the breakdown of talks does not change its strategy and that it is still projecting ~26% revenue growth for the year. The company continues to outperform Match Group and Bumble despite weaker sentiment in the dating-app sector. Zage and Lu, who bought Grindr in 2020 and took it public in 2022, hold ~60% of the shares.

See full article at Reuters

Grindr Turns Gay Rams’ Wool Into a Fashion Statement for LGBTQ+ Pride

Posted on November 17, 2025
Grindr Turns Gay Rams’ Wool Into a Fashion Statement

METRO.CO.UK – Grindr launched “I Wool Survive,” a fashion line made from the wool of gay rams rescued by Germany’s Rainbow Wool farm. Designed by Michael Schmidt, the collection debuted in New York to support global LGBTQ+ causes, turning rescued rams’ wool into a symbol of queer pride and inclusion.

See full article at Metro.co.uk

Grindr Reports Q3 2025 Results, Revenue up 30%

Posted on November 11, 2025
A smartphone displaying the Grindr logo on a yellow background, resting on a laptop keyboard.

GRINDR – Grindr delivered a record Q3 2025, with revenue up 30% YOY to $116M, net income rising to $31M, and Adjusted EBITDA reaching $55M. The company reaffirmed its full-year 2025 outlook of 26%+ revenue growth and expects Adjusted EBITDA of $191–$193M.  Monthly active users grew 4% to 15.1M, paying users increased 17% to 1.3M, and ARPPU rose 7% to $24.70. Grindr repurchased 25.1M shares for $450M, launched AI-driven product enhancements, and began testing a new premium tier powered by its proprietary gAI platform, positioning the company for continued growth into 2026.

See full article at Investors.Grindr.com

Grindr Escapes Court Trial as Judge Sends 16-Year-Old’s Murder Case to Arbitration

Posted on November 4, 2025
Grindr

NBC MIAMI – A U.S. federal judge ruled that a wrongful-death lawsuit against Grindr over the murder of 16-year-old Miranda Corsette must go to arbitration rather than trial. Corsette was killed in Feb 2025 after meeting a man on the app, which explicitly bars minors. Despite this, Judge Tom Barber found that by creating a Grindr account, Corsette had agreed to the platform’s terms and conditions, including mandatory arbitration, three separate times. The victim’s estate argued that no valid contract could exist because she was underage and ineligible to use the service, but the court rejected that reasoning. Critics have called the decision disturbing, as it effectively holds a minor to fine-print terms on an app that legally should have excluded her in the first place.

See full article at NBC Miami

AI Takes Over Dating Apps as Companies Bet on Smarter Matchmaking

Posted on November 4, 2025
AI Takes Over Dating Apps as Companies Bet on Smarter Matchmaking

NEW YORK TIMES – Artificial intelligence is reshaping online dating. Startups like Known and major platforms such as Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, and Grindr are replacing endless swiping with A.I. tools that offer curated matches and coaching. Users can pay per match or date instead of monthly subscriptions. Match Group’s new A.I. algorithms have increased matches on Hinge by 15%, while Tinder is testing “Chemistry,” an A.I. feature that analyzes photos to improve matching. Bumble and Grindr are developing similar tools. The shift comes as user satisfaction and paid subscriptions decline, prompting dating apps to bet on A.I. as the next phase of online matchmaking.

See full article at New York Times

Grindr for Equality 2025 Awards

Posted on October 28, 2025
Grindr for Equality 2025 Awards

GRINDR – Grindr for Equality has announced the 2025 Awards, supporting five partner organizations that advance LGBTQ+ health, rights, and safety worldwide by pairing community expertise with Grindr’s global reach. The partners include ITPC Global, addressing HIV prevention gaps across Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe; Sustained Health Initiatives of the Philippines, connecting users to HIV testing and mental health support; Freedom to Marry Global and Marriage For All Japan, leading marriage-equality efforts; and SAATHII in India, improving community safety and access to legal aid. The Awards are disbursed through the Grindr for Equality Fund at the Tides Foundation.

See full article at Grindr blog

Grindr Shareholders Offer to Take the Dating App Private for $3.46B

Posted on October 27, 2025
Grindr

REUTERS – Two major Grindr board members, Ray Zage and James Lu, who already control ~60% of the company, have proposed taking the LGBTQIA+ dating app private at a $3.46B valuation ($18 per share), a 51% premium over its Oct 10 price. The offer aims to consolidate control amid slowing user growth and “swiping fatigue” affecting the dating industry. Zage and Lu, who bought Grindr in 2020 and took it public in 2022, claim to have secured strong financing commitments. Grindr’s special committee of independent directors is currently reviewing the unsolicited offer.

See full article at Reuters

Norwegian Court Upholds €5.5M Fine Against Grindr for Illegal Data Sharing

Posted on October 22, 2025
A smartphone displaying the Grindr logo on a yellow background, placed on a laptop keyboard.

FORBRUKERRADET – Grindr’s appeal against a 65M NOK (€5.5M) fine has been rejected by Norway’s Court of Appeal, confirming that Grindr illegally shared users’ personal data with advertisers in violation of the GDPR. The case began in 2020 after the Norwegian Consumer Council (NCC) revealed Grindr’s data-sharing with multiple commercial partners. NCC’s Director of Digital Policy, Finn Lützow-Holm Myrstad, welcomed the ruling, calling it a “strong signal” to the digital advertising industry. He urged companies to end uncontrolled data tracking and profiling, warning that misuse of such information can manipulate voters, exploit vulnerable users, and endanger minorities.

See full article at Forbrukerradet

Grindr’s Majority Owners Move to Take the Company Private After Stock Slide

Posted on October 17, 2025
Grindr

FAST COMPANY – Grindr’s largest shareholders, Raymond Zage and James Lu, are exploring a plan to take the company private again, just four years after it went public through a SPAC merger in 2021. The move follows a recent stock drop that led a lender to seize shares tied to a personal loan. Reports say Zage and Lu are in talks with Fortress Investment Group to finance a buyout at about $15 per share, compared to Grindr’s $12.72 closing price on October 15. The two control over 60% of Grindr’s stock, prompting the board to form an independent committee to review any offer. Grindr’s shares had peaked at $24.73 in June 2025 but have since fallen, partly after a Ningi Research report accused the company of inflating user numbers. Grindr denied comment on both the buyout and the allegations. Despite the volatility, the company’s Q2 revenue rose 27% YOY, and CEO George Arison has announced plans to expand AI-driven features and telehealth services such as Woodwork, its ED medication platform.

See full article at Fast Company

Grindr’s Owners Want to Take It Private

Posted on October 14, 2025
A smartphone displaying the Grindr app logo

SEMAFOR – Grindr’s two main owners, Raymond Zage and James Lu, might buy back the company and make it private again. They’re talking with Fortress Investment Group to borrow money for the deal. They’re considering paying ~$15 per share, which would value Grindr at $3B. Right now, the company is worth $2.4B on the stock market. Even though Grindr’s profits went up 25% last quarter, the stock price has dropped over 20% since September. The deal could attract national-security attention, since Grindr was once owned by a Chinese company and handles sensitive user data.

See full article at Semafor