Category: Outlets – Wall Street Journal

Maker Of Chinese Dating App Momo Files For U.S. IPO

Posted on November 10, 2014

Momo app logoWSJ – Nov 7 – Momo Inc, the maker of Chinese dating and chat app Momo, has confirmed its plan to go public in the U.S. Momo has grown rapidly since its 2011 launch. It began as an online dating app, but it has pushed to become a platform to help people with shared interests connect in locales across China. Monthly active users reached 60.2 M in September, more than doubling from a year earlier. Membership subscription fees accounted for 63% of its revenue in H1 2014. Total H1 2014 revenue was $13.9M, up from $3.1M in the comparable 2013 period. Net loss was $8.3M, compared with a $9.3M loss in the H1 of 2013. Alibaba owns a 21% stake in Momo.

by Josh Beckerman
See full article at WSJ

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This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.

Summarized by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

Venture Group Benchmark Takes Small Stake In Tinder

Posted on October 31, 2014

Tinder itsamatchWSJ – Oct 28 – Silicon Valley venture-capital firm Benchmark has taken an equity stake in Tinder and general partner Matt Cohler will join its board. The companies didn’t disclose the size of the stake, but Re/Code reported Benchmark didn’t invest any money. Instead, a small stake will be traded for Mr. Cohler’s time and expertise. the publication said.

by Lauren Pollock
See full article at WSJ

Mark Brooks: This is a good sign. A major VC taking a stake in a dating app. This bodes very well.

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Summarized by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

Match Group Dating Revenue Up 5%

Posted on October 29, 2014

Match groupWSJ – Oct 29 – IAC’s Match Group reported revenue of $230.2M, an YOY increase of 12%. Dating revenue grew 5% due to 6% growth in North America and 3% growth in International. The growth in Dating revenue was driven by increased paid subscribers (up 9%). Adjusted EBITDA decreased 11%.

by Michael Calia
See full article at WSJ

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Summarized by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

OkCupid: Benefits Of Using Personal Data For Research

Posted on September 8, 2014

RV-AO199_DATA_P_20140822183203WSJ – Sep 4 – Social websites are remaking sociology—moving away from surveys, questionnaires and contrived laboratory setups and into real life. Once aggregated and anonymized, data, from controlled tests or shared directly by users, can tell us how we live our lives. The possibilities of this research are varied and is uniquely able to uncover hidden narratives because the data reveal what we're doing, not what we're saying or hoping we do. There are many ethical questions to address and communication between websites and their users needs to improve.

by Christian Rudder
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Summarized by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

Spinoff Of IAC’s Match Group Might Not Be A Smooth Sailing

Posted on August 20, 2014

Match groupWSJ – Aug 19 - Match Group is expected to trade at a higher multiple than the rest of IAC, particularly as it starts monetizing Tinder. IAC hasn't mentioned a spinoff but has taken steps in that direction, including creating Match Group with its own management. IAC would need to stabilize it's search-and-apps business (includes Ask.com and About.com) before leaving it on its own. If IAC proceeds with a spinoff, it won't necessarily be a smooth sailing for Match either. Revenue and subscriber growth has slowed in the past three quarters. Average revenue per subscriber has fallen for the past six. The problem: Most user growth is at OkCupid and Tinder, which are free.

by Miriam Gottfried
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Helen Fisher: Future Of Love Will Play Out By Prehistoric Rules

Posted on July 9, 2014

Dr helen fisherWSJ – July 8 - There are three hypotheses about the future of women, men and love, according to Helen Fisher.

– To bond is human. ~84% of American men are projected to marry by the time they reach age 40.
– The double-income family will become the norm.
– More divorce. ~50% of American men and women are projected to divorce. However, in hunting-gathering societies, men and women regularly have two or three marriages. Across prehistory, serial pairing was probably the norm—as it is becoming once again.

by Helen Fisher
See full article at WSJ

Chinese Dating App, Momo, To File For IPO

Posted on May 9, 2014

Momo app logoWSJ – May 9 – Beijing Momo Technology is working with banks including Morgan Stanley MS and Credit Suisse Group on a U.S. listing that could happen later this year. Momo has grown rapidly since its 2011 launch. As of January it had ~35M MAU. It began as a dating and hookup app, but over the past year became a platform to help people with shared interests connect in locales across China. Momo was recently valued at ~$2B in a private fundraising.

by Telis Demos
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Korean Dating Transcends North-South Divide

Posted on January 31, 2014

South north koreaWSJ – Jan 30 – Matchmaking is a sizable business niche in South Korea. There are companies that exclusively pair North Korean women and South Korean men. Women from the North account for three of every four defectors arriving in the South. It is easier for women to go unnoticed for days in North Korea, where most men are required to report at their workplace. Matchmaking service Namnam Buknyeo's is free for women, men pay 3M won (~$2,8K) for 5 introductions over the course of one year. According to a recent poll by matchmaking firm Bien-Aller, 69% of South Korean men were "somewhat positive" about marrying a North Korean woman, while 84% of South Korean women were "somewhat negative" on the question of marrying a North Korean man.

by Steven Borowiec
See full article at WSJ

FriendFinder Cleared To Exit Bankruptcy

Posted on December 17, 2013

Ffn logoWSJ – Dec 16 – A federal judge has cleared FriendFinder Networks to leave bankruptcy as a private company with much less debt. The plan allows a group of lenders who are owed $330.8M to forgive that debt and take 100% of the reorganized company's new common stock.

by Katy Stech
See full article at WSJ

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Privacy Concerns Nix Sale Of TRUE

Posted on October 24, 2013

True logoWSJ – Oct 23 – POF has pulled the plug on its offer to buy True.com for $700K after Texas’s attorney general warned that the sale would expose millions of singles to privacy risks.

by Jacob Gershman
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