Category: Outlets – Business Insider

Dating App IRLY Raises $350K Pre-Seed Round

Posted on November 30, 2022

IRLY logoBUSINESS INSIDER – Investors include Chris Kaufman, the co-founder of the sneaker marketplace StockX, and Kevin Edwards, the CEO of the Canadian food-delivery service SkipTheDishes, along with several angel investors. The app, expected to launch early next year, aims to cater to Gen Z, with the possibility for users to video chat, play games, and send each other virtual gifts. The app has brought on the Internet star Cameron Dallas, who rose to fame in the early 2010s on the short-form video app Vine and now has ~25M Instagram followers. He previously co-founded a subscription platform called Fanfix. SuperOrdinary, a beauty accelerator, acquired Fanfix in July in an eight-figure deal.

by Marta Biino
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This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.com

How Filteroff Attracted a $2M Investment From Brewing Giant AB InBev

Posted on August 31, 2022

FilterOff logoBUSINESS INSIDER – AB InBev is known for beer brands such as Bud Light, Stella Artois, and Hoegaarden. ZX Ventures, the beverage giant's venture arm, made a $2M investment in Filteroff, a dating app that connects people through digital and in-person events. The companies collaborate on in-person dating events that AB InBev supplies with beer. Filteroff, launched in 2019, hosts virtual speed-dating events through its app, where attendees talk on video chat and have the option to set up a second date later. The app has also started organizing events where singles can meet face-to-face over a beer.

by Alex Bitter
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This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.com

Three Former Trump Staffers Are Launching a Dating App for Conservatives

Posted on August 18, 2022

The Right Stuff logo for social mediaBUSINESS INSIDER – The Right Stuff, a conservative dating app founded by Trump administration staffers John McEntee, Daniel Huff, and Isaac Stalzer, came out of stealth last week via a video posted by the company's spokesperson, Ryann McEnany, on Twitter. On The Right Stuff, users can only identify themselves as male or female, or view profiles without pronouns. Women can earn a premium subscription by inviting friends to the platform, while men have to pay to access premium features, such as viewing more profiles, sending more likes, and seeing all of their likes at once. The Right Stuff is the latest dating app catered to conservatives that has cropped up in recent years. Others include Righter and Donald Dater. Peter Thiel, a billionaire investor and outspoken Trump supporter, was reportedly pouring $1.5M into the app. Thiel has a long history of investing in startups that align with conservative values.

by Samantha Stokes & Lakshmi Varanasi
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OkCupid: Culture of Inclusion Is Key to Innovation

Posted on June 14, 2022

Okcupid logo 2021BUSINESS INSIDER – OkCupid has offered more options for LGBTQ communities years before other dating apps. Marcus Lofthouse, its chief product officer, explains how he fosters inclusive innovation. The key is to foster safe spaces for employees and work with people from diverse backgrounds. "We have a historical legacy of being open," Lofthouse said. "We set the pace on things like LGBTQIA+ products and offerings. Other apps look to us."

by Marguerite Ward
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People Use Tinder to Sell Insurance and Looking for Love on LinkedIn

Posted on April 23, 2022

Selling insurance on TinderINSIDER – There are a number of reports online of similar instances where people have said that they used dating apps for purposes other than dates. According to Tinder's community guidelines, promotion or solicitation is prohibited. "It's fine to invite your matches to something that you're doing, but if the purpose of your profile is to advertise your event or business, non-profit, political campaign, contest, or to conduct research, we may delete your account," the rules read. But it appears that there's little regulation of the rule. On the flip side, some people have boldly turned to social media platforms outside of dating sites in their quest for love. Some people have openly blogged about finding their significant other via LinkedIn.

by Waiyee Yip
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China’s Millennials Are Shunning Marriage at Alarming Rates

Posted on April 21, 2022

Chinese coupleINSIDER – As China modernizes, more women are rejecting marriage in pursuit of financial freedom. That's led to a decline in birth rates, which has Chinese authorities concerned. Across the country, social commentators and local governments have publicly blamed the crisis on single women and pushed them toward marriage. Communist party youth wings launched their own matchmaking services this year, helping singles connect via ice-breaker games at official events. But many women in China say they're no longer interested in tying the knot; they see marriage as a potential roadblock to achieving economic independence. In a Communist Youth League survey of 2,905 unmarried youths last year, 44% of urban women aged 18 to 26 said they had no plans to get married, with 25% of men answering the same.

by Matthew Loh
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Dating App Scammers Are Rampant

Posted on March 21, 2022

Scam picINSIDER – The hit Netflix documentary "The Tinder Swindler," raised awareness about dating app scams, also called romance scams. Romance scam victims lost $1.3B total in the past 5 years, according to the FTC. In January, a man in Denver lost $1.6M after a Hinge match told him to invest it into a retirement account. Another woman gave a Hinge match her $300K in life savings to invest into a cryptocurrency exchange site that turned out to be fake. There are ways to preemptively protect yourself from identity theft and financial fraud, Mark Kapczynski, SVP of strategic partnerships at cybersecurity service OneRep. He suggested removing personal information from Google searches. Even if a dating-app match only has your first name, general location, and picture, they can still track you down with a quick internet search, said Kapczynski. "There are 150 or 200 sites that will have your personal information on them. Google your date and do a reverse-image search. Last, he said look out for certain behaviors, like intense persistence, or asking for money or to meet in a remote location.

by Julia Naftulin
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Billionaire Investor Peter Thiel Is Reportedly Pouring $1.5M Into a Dating App for Conservatives

Posted on February 15, 2022

The Right Stuff logoBUSINESS INSIDER – Early Facebook investor Peter Thiel is reportedly pouring $1.5M into "The Right Stuff", a dating app for conservatives. John McEntee, Trump's former political aide, is behind the project. It will launch first in Washington DC this summer and will initially be invite-only.

by Katie Canales
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This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.com

Dating App Executives Are Hoping for a Post-Omicron ‘Summer of Love’

Posted on February 10, 2022

Match group gary swidlerINSIDER – Gary Swidler, Match Group's CFO and COO, said summer 2022 could finally be "that summer of love." Swidler made the comment during an earnings call, but clarified his projection in the Q&A. He said that Match Group anticipates daters to return to pre-Omicron habits, but not pre-pandemic behaviors once Omicron's impact fades.

by Anna Medaris Miller
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MatchGroup Accuses Muzmatch of Free-Riding

Posted on January 21, 2022

Lawsuit1BUSINESS INSIDER – MatchGroup is suing Muslim-oriented dating startup Muzmatch in the UK. Match accused Muzmatch of "free-riding" off its reputation, alleging the app copied the look and feel of its logo and apps and used the word "Match" and "Tinder" in its SEO and meta tags to boost traffic. It claims users could confuse Muzmatch for its own services. Match Group has previously sued Bumble and threesome app 3nder, now called Feeld. Muzmatch's founder Shahzad Younas claimed Match's legal action came after he turned down four acquisition offers from Match in 2018 and 2019. When acquisition talks failed, Match purchased a different Muslim dating app, and sued his firm, the filings stated. The two-day UK trial took place on Monday 17 and Tuesday 18, and the judge expects a decision will be made in six weeks.

by Tamsin Lockwood
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