Announcing LTR 54 With Markus Frind, Founder and Former CEO of PlentyOfFish.com

Posted on August 24, 2026

OPW – The next LTR online dating industry conference is on September 2nd at 12 PM EST. In this edition, Mark Brooks will interview Markus Frind, founder and former CEO of Plenty of Fish. They will discuss how Markus built and ran one of the world’s largest dating platforms, the lessons he learned along the way, and his views on the dating industry today. This promises to be a fascinating conversation with one of the industry’s most successful founders. Don’t miss it!

If you hold a full-time leadership role at an online dating, social discovery, or matchmaking company, you are welcome to join LTR events for free.

Why attend LTR?

🏠 Flexible: Attend from anywhere – no travel required.
⏰ Convenient: Live session. 90 minutes.
💰 Free: No registration fees.

See the LTR Edition 54 speakers and invite page here.

This event is kindly sponsored by HubPeople, LeadThink, and Matchmaker.com.

Email mark@courtlandbrooks.com to RSVP.

GDI Conference in London, Sep 16, 2026 – Full Agenda Confirmed

Posted on August 24, 2026
Exterior view of the Harbour Hotel entrance at night, featuring a lit sign, potted plants, and decorative balconies.

The Global Dating Insights London Conference will take place on Wednesday, Sep 16, 2026, at the Richmond Harbour Hotel. Confirmed speakers include Matthew Gain, CEO of ParshipMeet Group; Karima Ben Abdelmalek, CEO of happn; Michael O’Sullivan, Founder of HubPeople; Benjamin Cooper, Director at Grindr; Mark Brooks, CEO of Courtland Brooks; Carsten Boltz, CEO, InSparx; Nicky Wake, Founder of Chapter 2 Dating; and others. Sessions will cover Trust & Safety, monetisation, AI, retention, changing dating audiences and M&A. On Tuesday, Sep 15, Mark Brooks will host the GDI London Leaders’ Lunch, a closed-door gathering for dating and social app CEOs and founders. Only 10 places are available, priced at £199 each. Pre-conference drinks will take place later that evening at The Roebuck in Richmond. The tickets for the GDI London Conference are available here.

The YouGov Relationships Survey

Posted on August 24, 2026
relationships

YOUGOV – A YouGov survey of 1,882 Britons found that two-thirds are currently in a relationship, with 90% of those describing themselves as happy. Work and mutual friends remain the most common ways couples meet, while dating apps account for one in nine relationships overall.  Most single Britons are happy being unattached, although 25% want a relationship now; 42% say they remain single because they have not met the right person, while 29% find dating stressful or difficult. 

See full article at YouGov

Bumble Tried to Change Dating, but the Dating Market Forced It to Change Instead

Posted on August 24, 2026
Bumble logo

WIRED – Bumble has ended its women-first rule, allowing men to initiate conversations. Bumble said 66% of surveyed women preferred men to message first and that testing increased chat initiation. However, some users fear the change will bring more unwanted messages and turn Bumble into another version of Tinder. The decision suggests that Bumble’s original women-first identity had become a commercial disadvantage as the company struggles to remain competitive and profitable.

See full article at Wired

Older and Younger Adults Have Different Priorities on Dating Apps

Posted on August 24, 2026
Older and Younger Adults Have Different Priorities on Dating Apps

PSYPOST – A 2026 study of 301 dating app users aged 18 to 86 found that older adults were more likely to use the apps for socializing, while younger users were more motivated by sexual experiences, finding relationships, and gaining social approval. Dating app use among older Americans is also relatively common: Pew Research found that 23% of people in their 50s have tried online dating, compared with 14% of those in their 60s and 12% of those aged 70 or older.

See full article at PsyPost

Taimi and Hily Target IPO Readiness as Growth Continues

Posted on August 19, 2026
Hily and Taimi

TECH.EU – Taimi and Hily are profitable, self-funded dating apps built primarily for Gen Z. Taimi focuses on the LGBTQ+ market and has ~350K daily active users. Its goal is 2M daily users as it works toward becoming IPO-ready. Both apps were launched in 2017 without external investment. Taimi has ~100 employees and is focused heavily on the US market. The company says its numbers do not support claims that Gen Z is moving away from dating apps. Its research also found that 57% of LGBTQ+ adults say dating apps reduce the burden of repeatedly coming out.

See full article at Tech.eu

Tinder Launches Double Date Island Reality Series on TikTok

Posted on August 19, 2026
Tinder Double Date Island

LINKEDIN – Tinder has launched Double Date Island, its first TikTok reality series, in partnership with TikTok and ITV Studios. The show is based on Tinder’s Double Date feature, which allows friends to match as pairs. It features 32 best-friend pairs from eight countries competing in a villa in Portugal. Their double dates are rated, with one pair from each country advancing to the Global Final. New episodes will be released daily on TikTok.

See full article at LinkedIn

Hot or Not’s Lasting Influence on Online Dating

Posted on August 19, 2026
HotorNot logo

WIRED – Hot or Not was one of the first platforms to turn subjective human attraction into structured data that could be ranked and used to influence behaviour. Its 2001 “Meet Me” feature also introduced mutual opt-in matching before Tinder existed. Its influence extended beyond dating: YouTube’s founders described an early version of YouTube as essentially “Hot or Not for video,” while Facebook’s FaceMash used a similar comparison concept. The irony is that dating companies are now trying to move away from the rating culture that Hot or Not helped normalize 26 years ago.

See full article at Wired

Gen Z Turns to Hobbies to Meet Potential Partners

Posted on August 19, 2026
Gen Z Turns to Hobbies to Meet Potential Partners

FAST COMPANY – Gen Z is increasingly using hobbies and social events as a way to meet potential partners in person. Eventbrite found strong growth in singles-focused activities, from trivia nights, up 403%, to mahjong, birdwatching and Pilates socials. Plant swaps and terrarium workshops were also up 117%, while birdwatching attendance rose 82%. The trend comes as more young people meet partners offline, with a 2025 Hims study finding that 77% of Gen Z had met their partner in person. Run clubs, grocery stores, and other everyday social settings are also being used as opportunities to meet potential dates.

See full article at Fast Company