SEEKING ALPHA – Hello Group reported Q1 revenue of RMB 2.39B ($353M) and a profit of RMB 328.8M ($49M). The company expects Q2 revenue of RMB 2.45B – 2.55B ($362M – $377M) and maintains its target of reaching RMB 3B ($444M) in overseas revenue this year. Management said domestic results continue to be affected by tax-related pressures, while overseas growth remains on track despite recent challenges in Turkey and the Middle East. The company is also continuing to roll out new AI and social discovery features across Momo and Tantan.
MARKETING INTERACTIVE – Tantan has moved its global headquarters to Singapore and launched a new brand positioning, “Date better,” as part of its international expansion across APAC and other markets. The company plans to introduce product updates, including redesigned UI/UX, AI-powered tools, verification features, privacy controls, and additional safety systems. Tantan will also expand through local campaigns and community events in markets including Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the U.S.
FINANCIAL TIMES – happn has been acquired by China’s Hello Group, owner of Momo and Tantan, to accelerate expansion into Asia, particularly China and Japan. The app, which uses geolocation to connect people who cross paths in daily life, has 170M registered users and has been profitable since 2019, with strong traction in India, Turkey, Brazil, and parts of Europe. Growth in the US has slowed, reflecting broader pressures on the industry. Karima Ben Abdelmalek, CEO of happn, stresses that the real challenge is not competition, but changing user behavior: people want to spend less time online. She argues the industry must “reinvent itself” by moving away from forcing endless swiping and chatting, and instead create “more reasonable” experiences where people meet faster and offline. For happn, this means leaning on its location-based strength, showing users others who go to the same venues, using AI to suggest places to meet, and expanding into features for socialising that go beyond dating. The Hello Group deal gives happn the scale and resources to adapt its model and push into new growth markets.
PRESS RELEASE – French dating app happn has been fully acquired by HelloGroup, a major Asian social and dating app operator, under a deal signed on Sep 2, 2025. The acquisition aims to strengthen happn’s position in existing markets (Europe, Latin America, India, Turkey) and drive expansion into Asia and Africa. Founded in 2014, happn has ~170M users worldwide and tripled its profits between 2022 and 2025 under President Karima Ben Abdelmalek’s “Smart Dating” strategy. HelloGroup, which operates apps like Momo and TanTan, sees the acquisition as a way to combine expertise and accelerate international growth.
SIXTH TONE – China's matchmaking industry is rapidly expanding, with ~46,500 new companies launched in the past year and a market now worth 9.38B yuan ($1.2B). Despite a record-low marriage rate, demand for dating apps and matchmaking services like Baihe, Zhenai, Momo, and Tantan continues to rise. However, the sector faces growing scrutiny as scams have emerged, exploiting regulatory gaps and a lack of identity checks. China's Supreme People's Procuratorate reported ~1,500 related prosecutions last year, involving fake agencies, sham marriages, and fraudulent investment schemes. Authorities are now calling for stronger oversight to ensure user safety and trust in the booming singles market.
BAMBOO WORKS – Hello Group, the operator of Momo and Tantan, continues to struggle in China with declining revenue (down 12% in Q4) and net income plunging 59% due to regulatory crackdowns and user migration to platforms like Douyin. Paying users on Momo and Tantan have dropped significantly since 2021. To counter domestic losses, the company is aggressively expanding internationally, focusing on Soulchill, which saw 50% revenue growth in 2024 and now contributes ~1B yuan ($138M). New apps Yaahlan and AMAR target Middle Eastern markets, with plans to expand into developed countries in 2025. Overseas revenue is projected to grow up to 100%, reaching 2B yuan ($276M) this year. However, high marketing costs, regional instability, and competition from Match Group and other Chinese firms pose challenges. Investors remain skeptical, with shares falling 8% after earnings despite a 12% six-month stock gain, lagging the broader market.
INDIAN EXPRESS – Several previously banned Chinese apps have returned to India, including TanTan, Shein, and Xender, while TikTok remains banned. TanTan, a Tinder-like dating app, has reappeared under new developers – TanTan Cultural Development (Beijing) for iOS and Tantan Hong Kong Limited for Android. The app, which was banned in 2020, is now back on both Apple App Store and Google Play Store, signaling a quiet return to the Indian market.
PRESS RELEASE – Hello Group (MOMO) has released its financial results for Q2 2023. Highlights include a 0.9% YoY increase in net revenues, reaching RMB 3,138M ($432.7M). Net income rose to RMB 568.4M ($78.4M), compared to RMB 345.6M in Q2 2022. Monthly Active Users on Tantan app were 17.3M in June 2023, compared to 24.8M in June 2022. For the Momo app total paying users was 7.9M for the Q2 2023, compared to 8.6M for the same period last year. Tantan had 1.4M paying users for the Q2 2023 compared to 2.2M from the year ago period.
PR NEWSWIRE — Hello Group (MOMO) announced its unaudited financial results for the Q1 of 2023. Net revenues decreased by 10.5% YOY to RMB2,818.9M ($410.5 M) in the Q1 of 2023. Net income increased to RMB390.3M ($56.8M) in the Q1 of 2023. Monthly Active Users on Momo app were 106.5M in March 2023, compared to 110.9M in March 2022. MAU on Tantan were 19.5M in March 2023, compared to 25.6M in March 2022. For the Momo app total paying users was 7.8M for the Q1 of 2023, compared to 8.6M for the same period last year. Tantan had 1.6M paying users for the first quarter of 2023 compared to 2.4M from the year ago period.
PR NEWSWIRE – Hello Group, a leading mobile social and entertainment platform in China, announced its financial results for Q4 and the full year 2022. Q4 revenues decreased by 12.6% YOY to RMB3,212.7M ($465.8M). Q4 Net income was $57.7M, compared to a net loss of $616M in the same period of 2021. Monthly Active Users on Momo app were 94.6M in Dec 2022, compared to 114.1M in Dec 2021. MAU on Tantan app were 18.4M in Dec 2022, compared to 27M in Dec 2021. For the Momo app total paying users was 7.8M in Q4 of 2022, compared to 8.9M for the same period last year. Tantan had 1.7M paying users in Q4 of 2022 compared to 2.5M from the year ago period. Annual 2022 net revenues decreased 12.8% YOY to $1,841.9M for the full year of 2022. 2022 net income was $215.2M, compared to a net loss of $423M during the same period of 2021.
