Grindr to Acquire PrEP Provider Freddie for $250 Million

Posted on October 1, 2026
Grindr acquires Freddie

PRESS RELEASE – Grindr has agreed to acquire PurposeMed, the parent company of HIV-prevention telehealth provider Freddie, for $250 million. The deal includes $190M in cash and $60M in Grindr shares, with a further $70M tied to performance targets. Freddie has served ~55K patients across Canada and the US and expects 2026 revenue of ~$80M and adjusted EBITDA above $10M. Grindr plans to integrate Freddie into its app, allowing users to access PrEP consultations, testing, prescriptions and medication delivery. The deal is expected to close in Q4 of 2026.

See full article at BusinessWire

Online Dating Jobs Listing Update – September 2026

Posted on September 30, 2026
job offers

OPW – An update to the online dating jobs listing is live here.

Below, see a couple of this month’s most interesting offers:
Bumble – Director of Culture Marketing
Ditto AI – Head of Product
FFN – Director of Finance and Accounting Operations
Grindr – Director of Product, Ads
Hinge – Director of Talent Acquisition
Match Group – VP, Commercial Contracting & Legal Operations
Meetic – Sr. Director Brand Marketing – Europe
ParshipMeet Group – Director General Ledger Accounting
Social Discovery Ventures – CPO

Do you have an idating industry job offer that is not included? Please, send it to tips@onlinepersonalswatch.com and we will add it to the list.

Tinder Launches Group Hangouts for Social Dating

Posted on September 30, 2026
Tinder Group Hangouts

TECH CRUNCH – Tinder has launched Group Hangouts, allowing groups of three to 15 friends to match with other groups and plan activities together. If someone from each group expresses interest, everyone joins a shared chat. The feature is rolling out in the US and selected markets, building on Tinder’s Double Date and Events products.

See full article at Tech Crunch

Ditto Dating Reaches 200,000 Sign-Ups Across US Campuses

Posted on September 30, 2026
Ditto dating app

DAILY TROJAN – AI dating service Ditto has passed 200K sign-ups and expanded to 20–25 US college campuses. The service gives students one campus match every Wednesday and uses text messages to arrange dates, removing swiping and in-app chats. Its latest marketing campaign emails students to say someone has a crush on them after another user submits their details. Ditto started at UC Berkeley and UC San Diego and is now available at USC and colleges across the country.

See full article at Daily Trojan

Tinder CTO Details the Company’s Growing Use of AI

Posted on September 30, 2026
Tinder CTO Vinay Kuruvila

OBSERVER – Tinder says AI now generates around 90% of its new code, although engineers review the output. Adoption of AI coding tools among its engineers has risen from ~10% to almost 100%, helping Tinder double the speed at which it releases updates. Match Group expects to spend ~$10M on internal AI tools in 2026, twice its original budget. Its 2,300 employees have access to tools such as Claude, while engineers spend an average of $600 a month on AI tokens.

See full article at Observer

Singapore Launches Government Dating Service FirstDate

Posted on September 30, 2026
Promotional banner for 'FirstDate,' an initiative aimed at supporting singles aged 21-35 in their dating journey, requiring verification through Singpass.

MASHABLE – Singapore’s government has launched FirstDate, a pilot dating service for public-sector employees aged 21 to 35. Users answer questions about their values, habits, and preferences, then receive one suggested match at a time. The service uses the Gale-Shapley algorithm, which compares each person’s ranked preferences to identify pairings that are mutually suitable. Both people have 72 hours to accept before their contact details are shared. Accounts are verified through Singapore’s national digital ID system.

See full article at Mashable

Hinge Reaches 1.47M Users in India Ahead of Marketing Push

Posted on September 29, 2026
Hinge app icon

FORBES INDIA – Hinge has an estimated 1.47M users in India, making it the app’s third-largest market by user numbers. India also generates its second-highest volume of downloads after the US, despite Hinge doing little local marketing during its ten years in the country. Hinge plans to begin marketing in India for the first time later this month, supported by new safety features developed for the market. CEO Jackie Jantos said the company expects further growth beyond its current concentration in Delhi, Mumbai, and other major cities.

See full article at Forbes India

Happn Uses Bike Seat Covers for Amsterdam Campaign

Posted on September 29, 2026
Happn Uses Bike Seat Covers for Amsterdam Campaign

LINKEDIN – Happn has launched an outdoor marketing campaign in Amsterdam using purple bicycle seat covers. The covers have appeared on bikes around De Pijp, protecting seats from rain while promoting the dating app. The campaign fits happn’s focus on people who cross paths in real life. It also gives the advertising a practical use in a city where cycling is part of everyday life.

See full article at LinkedIn

Grindr to Offer PrEP Through Its App

Posted on September 29, 2026
PrEP pills

LINKEDIN – Grindr users in the US will be able to order PrEP directly through the app in 2027. CEO George Arison announced the plan after discussing Grindr’s HIV prevention work with Chelsea Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative. Grindr aims to connect 10M people with HIV prevention services by 2028. Arison said only ~650K people in the US currently have active PrEP prescriptions, despite the medication being up to 99% effective at preventing HIV. ~500K people have already ordered HIV test kits through Grindr, with a quarter testing for the first time.

See full article at LinkedIn

Young Japanese Singles Turn to Professional Matchmakers

Posted on September 29, 2026
IBJ

NEW YORK TIMES – Professional matchmaking is gaining ground among younger singles in Japan. IBJ, one of the country’s largest matchmaking companies, has seen membership grow ~50% over the past five years, while first-half revenue jumped 44% to ~$91M. The company says its network is involved in roughly one in every 25 marriages in Japan. Members receive support from consultants throughout the dating process, with typical costs including monthly fees of $30 to $100, enrollment fees of $650 to $1,300, and a $1,300 success fee upon engagement. IBJ is also targeting younger singles with advertising such as “Better one omiai than 100 swipes.”

See full article at New York Times