Category: Outlets – Tech Crunch
Ask.fm Founders Back Dating App Mint
TECH CRUNCH – Mar 17 – The founders of Ask.fm, the social Q&A app that became embroiled in a cyberbullying media storm before being acquired by IAC, have backed new dating app Mint. Through their startup builder Balaclava Lab, Ilja Terebin, Mark Terebin and Oskar Liepins have invested $1M in the young company. Launched in December, Mint is pitched as a location-based mobile dating app that helps users meet with people nearby.
by Steve O'Hear
See full article at Tech Crunch
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.
Digital Dating Panel At Disrupt New York
TECH CRUNCH – Mar 14 – There will be a digital dating panel at Disrupt New York this May. Bumble CEO & Founder Whitney Wolfe, Her founder & CEO Robyn Exton, and Coffee Meets Bagel co-founder and COO Dawoon Kang will discuss how niche dating services could be the next big thing.
by Jordan Crook
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Bumble Launches BFF, A Feature To Find New Friends
TECH CRUNCH – Mar 5 – Bumble, the dating app where girls make the first move, has released an update with a new feature, called BFF. It lets users use the same swiping and matching algorithms for friendship instead of dating. Users have not only been requesting the feature, but have already been using the platform for that purpose, the company explained.
Hinge May Start Charging Users As It Zeroes In On Serious Dating
TECH CRUNCH – Feb 19 – Hinge is undergoing a huge makeover, ditching the swipe mechanic and adding a paid subscription layer to ensure folks who use it are there "for the right reasons". There's no word on when Hinge plans to roll out this new, more expensive version of its app.
Coffee Meets Bagel Will Help Users Pick Their Best Photos
TECH CRUNCH – Feb 11 – From now on, users can A/B test photos, by uploading two options and letting other users vote on which is best. Coffee Meets Bagel has been polling daters and found that 54% of the time people pass on "bagels," the reason is photo-related.
by Katie Roof
See full article at Tech Crunch
Online Dating Use Jumps Among Youngest US Adults And The Middle Aged
TECH CRUNCH – Feb 11 – In the past two years, use of online dating has surged among the youngest U.S. adults, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center. 15% of American adults have used online dating sites and/or mobile dating apps, up from 11% in 2013. The usage of dating sites/apps among 18 to 24 rose from 10% in 2013 to 27% now. Pew also notes a spike in usage among 55-64, with digital dating rates doubled from 6% two years ago to 12% now.
Lulu Acquired By Badoo
TECH CRUNCH – Feb 9 – Lulu, the once controversial mobile app that let women anonymously review and rate men, has been acquired by Badoo. Lulu founder and CEO Alexandra Chong will move back to London from New York to join Badoo as President, where she'll be focusing on international expansion. Terms of the deal remain undisclosed. Lulu had raised $15M. The new Lulu will be powered by Badoo.
by Steve O'Hear
See full article at Tech Crunch
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This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.
Zoosk Drops 1/3 Of Its Staff
TECH CRUNCH – Jan 14 – Despite $61M in funding, Zoosk is laying off 1/3 of its staff. ~40 people will be let go. Founded in 2007, Zoosk found success by building extensions for MySpace, Facebook, Hi5, and Bebo. It reached 40M registered users and 12M actives by 2009. Zoosk made money by selling subscriptions. The dating app ditched its IPO plans in 2014, and its founders stepped down. Former CFO Kelly Steckelberg became CEO. "To operate as a sustainable, profitable and innovative company, we've made the difficult but necessary decision to reduce our headcount", she commented.
Dating App Once Integrates With Wearables To Show Heart Rate
TECH CRUNCH – Jan 13 – Once, a dating app with ~600K users, announced an integration with Fitbit and Android Wear. Once lets users see their heart rate when they look at their matches. In the next version of the app, the user will be able to opt-in to a feature that will send their heart rate to their match once it's recorded. When you catch sight of your beloved and your heart starts racing, that's because of an adrenaline rush, said Dr. Reginald Ho, a cardiac electrophysiologist.