TECH CRUNCH – Dec 10 – Consumers will download 130B apps in 2020 across iOS and Google Play, up 10% YOY, according to App Annie's year-end forecast. Consumer spending across the two app stores will also grow by 25% YOY to reach $112B by year end. Google Play downloads in 2020 outnumbered iOS downloads by 160%, but both stores saw 10% growth. Top markets for consumer spend on iOS included the U.S., Japan and the U.K., which is a different list than in 2018 and 2019, when the list included the U.S., China and Japan. Top markets for Google Play were the U.S., South Korea and Germany. Despite a lockdown, Tinder made it to No.1 in terms of consumer spend.
Category: Outlets – Tech Crunch
Tinder to Make It Easier to Report Users
Yubo, Tinder for Youngsters, Raised $47.5M
TECH CRUNCH – Nov 18 – French startup Yubo, which focuses on young people under 25, has managed to attract 40M users. A fraction of them hang out every day in live-streaming rooms, meet new people and spend money for more features. Yubo expects to double its revenue this year to $20M. The app has recently closed a Series C funding round of $47.5M (previously raised $19.5M) With this funding round, Yubo will expand its team. There are currently 30 employees in Paris, London and Jacksonville. Yubo will open an office in New York.
by Romain Dillet
See full article at Tech Crunch
This post also appears on Very Social Network and Internet Dating Investments
Bumble’s Changes Its “Unmatch” Feature
Europe Urges E-commerce and Media Platforms to Share Data
TECH CRUNCH – Nov 6 – European lawmakers are pressing major e-commerce and media platforms to share more data with each other as a tool to fight rogue traders who are targeting consumers with coronavirus scams. Didier Reynders, the EU commissioner for justice, met with 11 online platforms, including Amazon, Alibaba/AliExpress, eBay, Facebook, Google, Microsoft/Bing, Rakuten and Verizon Media/Yahoo, to discuss new trends and business practices linked to the pandemic and push the tech companies to do more to head off a new wave of COVID-19 scams. Next month regional lawmakers are set to unveil the Digital Services Act which will require platforms to take more responsibility for dealing with illegal content and dangerous products; and the Digital Markets Act which will require platforms considered to hold a dominant market position to make data available to rivals, with the aim of fostering competition in digital markets.
by Natasha Lomas
See full article at Tech Crunch
This post also appears on Very Social Network
Tinder’s Opt-in Video Chat Feature Is Rolling out Globally
TECH CRUNCH – Oct 27 – Face to Face, an opt-in-only feature that Tinder launched earlier this year that lets users video chat with each other without exchanging personal information and only when they're facing the cam, is now expanding globally. Both parties need to be opted into the feature, and they have to be matched before a video chat can be initiated.
Facebook Dating Launches in Europe After 9-month+ Delay Over Privacy Concerns
TECH CRUNCH – Oct 21 – From today, European Facebook users can opt into Facebook Dating by creating a profile at facebook.com/dating. Among the dating product's main features are the ability to share Stories on users' profile; a Secret Crush feature that let people select up to nine of their Facebook friends or Instagram followers who they'd like to date (without them knowing unless they also add them – triggering a match notification); the ability to see people with similar interests; and a video chat feature called Virtual Dates. Since the launch of Facebook's dating product in 20 countries around the world – including the U.S. and a number of markets in Asia and LatAm – the company says ~1.5B matches have been "created".
Bumble Hires Two New C-level Executives
TECH CRUNCH – Oct 13 – Bumble is expanding its C-suite with two new hires: Anu Subramanian as Bumble's CFO, who hails from Univision, and Selby Drummond as chief brand officer, who is joining from Snap. Bumble can now claim it has equal male-to-female representation across its C-suite. According to reports, Bumble hit 100M users this summer and is preparing to IPO in 2021, possibly at a $6B-plus valuation.
Grindr’s Security Flaw Let Anyone Easily Hijack User Accounts
Spectrum Labs Raises $10M for Its AI-based Platform to Combat Online Toxicity
TECH CRUNCH – Sep 24 – Spectrum Labs – which has built algorithms and a set of APIs that can be used to detect toxic behavior, has raised $10M in a Series A round of funding. The company plans to use the capital to expand its platform. The company has raised ~$14M to date. Spectrum Labs works with a wide range of companies, including The Meet Group. Spectrum Labs' AI-based platform is currently set up to scan for ~40 kinds of toxic behavior profiles such as harassment, hate speech, scams, grooming, illegal solicitation, and doxxing.
by Ingrid Lunden
See full article at Tech Crunch
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.com