VENTURE BEAT – June 3 – Grouper, a group dating startup, has shut down its international operations and fired a portion of its staff overseas and in the U.S. Founded in 2011, Grouper employed ~30 people before laying many of them off.
Category: Grouper
Grouper Eliminates Blind Date Pressure
EXPRESS.CO.UK – Feb 13 - Grouper sets up drinks between two groups of friends, three men and three women. The site has recently launched in London is planning to expand nationwide. Smeeters works in the same way but is designed for both singles and non-singles who are keen to meet new friends. There is also Six Dinners Later. Users pay £25 to join the guest list and then either wait to be invited to a group dinner by a fellow member or put their name forward to attend a particular dinner.
Interview With Challen Hodson From Grouper
METRO.US – Jan 19 – Challen Hodson is the director of membership experience for Grouper, a dating site that matches groups of three female friends with groups of three male friends.
Q: Is it really you who answers all of the texts?
A: Yes, in New York. We’re not 24/7. We start later in the morning and roll through midnight on nights when it’s needed.
Q: Can you explain the Karma Points system?
A: Groupers receive Karma Points for referring friends and for going on Groupers.
Q: 2000 points gets users the “Craziest Night Ever.” What is that?
A: We’ll help plan a really epic night, whether it’s concert tickets or sporting events or dinner and drinks in a really awesome place in the city.
Q: How many people have gotten them?
A: We’ve handed out a couple of dozen.
Q: What’s your advice for people going on a first Grouper?
A: Relax and have fun.
by Andrea Park
The full article was originally published at Metro.co.uk, but is no longer available.
Grouper Heads To London
MALAYMAIL ONLINE – Jan 2 – Grouper, the online social club, launches in London on January 16th. Grouper focuses on low-pressure group dating, in which users sign up via Facebook, invite two “wingmen,” pay a fee of $20 for each person, and then answer some questions. Grouper then matches the trio with another trio of potential mates.
Grouper To Launch In UK
THE GUARDIAN – Dec 1 - Grouper dating site attempts to get users off the site as quickly as possible. The site has staff dedicated to matchmaking, picking which trios will work best together, pick the places where those dates will happen and then negotiate with the venue. The site has grown to its current size largely through word of mouth.
Group Dating Is On The Rise
NY TIMES – Nov 10 – “Traditional online dating takes too much time,” said Lauren Kay, 24, a founder of the Dating Ring, a group dating company that started last spring. She requires singles to meet with an in-house matchmaker, before being set up in groups of three single men and women ($20 a date). "Group dating is simply a version of general night life, said Abel Acuña, a founder of Martini, a group-dating service in New York, Paris, London and Seoul, South Korea. These services make fewer claims about arranging romance, promising only the low-stress opportunity of hanging out. Grouper bills itself as a social club. “We are more excited about groups that are 12 and higher,” said Sam Yagan, founder of OKCupid.com and CEO of Match.com.
by Marisa Meltzer
See full article at NY Times
Grouper Is A Social Club
CNBC – Oct 4 – Grouper was founded in 2011 by Michael Waxman. Users go on a blind date with a group of friends. The cost to attend an arranged meeting is $20 per person. The cost covers the first round of drinks and some light snacks.
by Deborah Findling & Paul Toscano
See full article at CNBC
Grouper Hits Houston
CHRON – Sep 19 – Grouper, a dating site that sets up dates between two groups of friends, is launching in Houston. Grouper was started in 2011 in New York by Michael Waxman.
by Daniela Di Napoli
See full article at Chron
Grouper: Group Blind Date
FOX BUSINESS – Aug 13 – Dating site Grouper sets up groups of friends for drinks, to see if there is a potential match within the crowd. The site was created by Michael Waxman who started the site after breaking up with his college girlfriend and moving to New York, finding himself disenchanted with the dating options. The sites sets up drinks between two groups of friends, and is always three-on-three. Each person pays $20 to secure a reservation as well as the first round of drinks. From there, it’s anyone’s game, Waxman says. Grouper is available in 25 cities across the U.S.
by Kate Rogers
The full article was originally published at Fox Business, but is no longer available.
Grouper Talks Competition
TECH CRUNCH – May 30 – Grouper has been around since 2011. The service matches users with singles they may enjoy canoodling with, but asks that each party bring two of their friends for a group date. Grouper was founded by Michael Waxman. In his opinion, Grouper has a leg up on the competition because it facilitates real-life meeting, whereas traditional dating sites and social networks are more focused on letting you message and look at photos.