Online Personals Watch: News on the Online Dating Industry and Business

SafeDate.io Wins Accelerator Space

LINKEDIN - June 12 - SafeDate.io is headed by mature CEO Sid Klein (Wharton, P&G) and is building safer dating apps focused on eliminating predators and victimization. They just scored space at a 28k sq ft accelerator hub at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) which gets them working space, interns, and guidance from faculty and mentors, along with introductions to investors, and money to cover expenses. This came as part of SafeDate.io being named a finalist in the FAU 2021 Tech Runway Startup competition. The award recognizes exceptional high-growth potential and disruptive technology.

See full article at LinkedIn

Mark Brooks: One to watch. Trust and safety are paramount in our space, so no wonder Sid's new product is resonating. I'll be intrigued to see what kind of product they deliver.

Internet Dating Jobs Listing Update - June 2021

OPW - June 11 - The new Internet dating jobs listing is live on the Internet Dating Jobs blog.

Below see a couple of this month's most interesting offers:

Bumble
  VP Growth Marketing (USA or London)

Dil Mil
  CMO

Lovoo
  Vice President of Growth

Match Group
  VP, Product

Reflex Media
  VP of Finance

The League
  VP Marketing

Tinder
  Tinder Business Director, UK & Nordics

To see more open positions go here.

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

Grindr Embraces the Return of Live Events for Pride Month

ADWEEK - June 11 - Grindr is supporting 10 iconic LGBTQ+ venues across the US. The pandemic wiped out most Pride Month in-person events in 2020. Grindr is welcoming the return toward normalcy for Pride Month 2021 with its "Grindr Pride: The Comeback" campaign.

by David Cohen
See full article at Adweek

See the top news on Grindr

Israeli Man Starts Matchmaking Service for Non-vaccinated Jewish Singles

FORWARD.COM - June 11 - Three decades ago, Israeli real-estate agent Daniel Michael was set up with his wife by a neighbor. Now, Michael is providing the same service, but for a niche demographic: Jewish singles who have opted not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. "There are many singles who are only interested in someone that is not getting the shot," Michael said. "And I figured maybe I'm the one to put them together." With ~57% of its population fully vaccinated, Israel has led the world in immunization rates.

by Rachel Hale
See full article at Forward.com

Matrimonial Sites Are Doing Well

NEW INDIAN EXPRESS - June 11 - As meeting people has become difficult during the lockdown, matrimonial sites have launched video calling and Weddings From Home services. Murugavel Janakiraman, founder and CEO, Matrimony.com, said there has been a 25% increase in the number of registrations on their site during the lockdown and even on a quarter-on-quarter basis, they are reporting double digit growth. According to Adhish Zaveri, Senior Director - Marketing, Shaadi.com, the matchmaking industry has done well in the past year or so. "During the first wave, the engagement on Shaadi.com was up by 30-50% YOY. We also saw a 35-40% uptick in new members signing up."

by Binita Jaiswal
See full article at New Indian Express

See the top news on Matrimony.com
See the top news on Shaadi

BlueCity Q1 Results 2021: Revenue up 31%

GLOBE NEWSWIRE - June 10 - BlueCity's Q1 revenues reached RMB271.1M ($41.4M), up 30.7% YOY. Net loss was RMB52.1M ($7.9M), compared with net loss of RMB7.6M in Q1 2020. Monthly active users of BlueCity's portfolio apps reached 8.3M, up 37.5% YOY. Total paying users reached 640K, up 47.8% YOY. Revenues from live streaming services reached RMB219.9M ($33.6M), up 22.4% YOY. Revenues from membership services reached RMB26.4M ($4M), up 75.9% YOY. Revenues from advertising services reached RMB12M ($1.8M), from merchandise sales of "He Health" RMB11.4M ($1.7M). BlueCity's portfolio apps include Blued, LESDO and Finka.

See full article at Globe Newswire

See the top news on Blued
See the top news on Lesdo
See the top news on Finka

Does Match.com's 'Hannah' Enjoy Microwaving Butterflies?

SNOPES - June 10 - In 2015, the UK version of the Match.com dating site unveiled a #Loveyourimperfections promotional campaign, which urged viewers to embrace their imperfections with the suggestion that someone users could find through Match.com might consider what they see as a flaw to be a positive attribute. One of the most-reproduced images purportedly derived from this campaign is "Hannah," whose imperfection is that she "microwaves butterflies in her spare time." "Hannah" wasn't really microwaving butterflies, however, nor was that trait assigned to her by Match.com's advertising campaign. The popular image was the product of the (now-dormant) Twitter account WeFixYourAdverts, which posted versions of advertisements that had been tweaked through digital manipulation to make them darkly humorous.

by David Mikkelson
See full article at Snopes

See the top news on Match.com

How Bumble Is Spreading Awareness About Unsolicited Fetishization

ADWEEK - June 10 - Bumble recently conducted a survey finding one in every two respondents "[did] not have a clear understanding of what fetishization means as it relates to identities, race, body type, profession and more." In contrast, those most likely to experience unsolicited acts of fetishization showed a much clearer understanding of it. To break down its impact, Bumble released a short film revealing one-on-one conversations where each person discusses how this dehumanizing behavior has impacted them in and outside of dating.

by Shannon Miller
See full article at Adweek

See the top news on Bumble

KiKi Social Implements an AI System to Protect Users' Privacy

KIKI - June 10 - KiKi, a social marketplace that connects like-minded real people to enjoy nearby experiences that, in alliance with the company Suments Data, will implement new technology, based on AI and deep learning technology, which will ensure Photographs of users in the event of possible theft or malicious misuse. In this alliance, the KiKi Social app extends the security of its users beyond the application with in-depth tracking of the network of networks. This security measure is added to others already implemented by the social network and available to users. KiKi Social has the IDEA Social Safety Badge, with which it adheres to its promise to protect users against many forms of abusive behavior.

See full article here

See the top news on Kiki

Mixed up in Love: Challenges in Interracial Dating and Relationships

INNER CIRCLE - June 10 - Inner Circle partnered up with Tineka Smith, author of Mixed Up, to summarize some of the challenges and themes behind British people's behaviors regarding interracial dating and relationships.

• Mixed couples most likely to suffer negative reactions from friends, family, and colleagues
• Daters still fear racism, stereotyping, and microaggressions when using apps
• Racial fetishization is a common issue contributing to racism on dating apps
• Talking about racial challenges as a couple or while dating is taboo for many
• Challenging conversations around cultural differences vary based on ethinic background

Tineka also shared her advice for singles and couples navigating interracial dating and relationships

• Don't avoid the discussion
• Create a safe space
• Honesty is the best policy

See full article at Inner Circle website

See the top news on Inner Circle

Popular Online Choices During Pandemic

PRESS ASSOCIATION - June 9 - UK adults spent more time online than other large European countries such as France and Germany during the pandemic, according to Ofcom research. They 217 minutes online each day in 2020. More than an hour longer than in Germany and France and 30 minutes more than Spain. Tinder was the most popular dating app among young online UK adults. 11% of 18-24 year-olds used Tinder in Sep 2020. Plenty of Fish was most popular among the 45-54 age group. However lockdown saw an increase in romance scams, with money lost to fraudsters increasing 12% to £18.5 million.

See full article at Western Telegraph

See the top news on Tinder
See the top news on POF  

1/3 Would Rather Meet Partner Through Gaming Than Dating App

WALES ONLINE - June 9 - New research reveals more than 37% of Brits would rather meet their partner via a video game than a dating app. The Logitech UK survey of 1k game-loving Brits, who game 7+ hours per week, also found 70% believe couples who game together are more likely to last in a relationship. Interestingly women were more inclined to fall in love through gaming than men.

by Neil Shaw
See full article at Wales Online

Apple Says Grindr, Scruff Not Targets of App Store Guideline Change

APPLE INSIDER - June 9 - Apple clarified that a recent change to its App Store guidelines is only targeting illicit apps that use dating as a cover and won't result in the ban of legitimate apps like Grindr or Scruff. Apple's Monday update to App Store Review Guidelines clarifies some existing policies and adds new requirements for apps. One of those changes, guideline 1.1.4, bans "hookup" apps that include pornography or are used to facilitate prostitution.

by Mike Peterson
See full article at Apple Insider

See the top news on Grindr
See the top news on Scruff

Hinge & Uber Team up to Help Single Dog-owners

BODY & SOUL - June 9 - Beginning today until June 21, the first 5k matched Hinge couples in Australian cities where Uber Pet is available will be eligible for a 50% 'Uber Pet' discount code. 69% of Aussie Hinge users say they're more drawn to dog owners. It's considered a priority that your fluffy mate and your future mate get along. "Nobody ever wants to be in a position to choose between a partner and a pet so exploring how a date interacts and feels about your furry housemate early on is valuable," says Dr. Kate Adams, Vet and Hinge puppy chemistry expert. 61% of Aussie Hinge users think someone's choice in pets says a lot about their personality.

by Sophie Goulopoulos
See full article at Body & Soul

See the top news on Hinge

Momo Q1 Financial Results

MOMO - June 9 - Q1 2021 net revenues decreased by 3.4% YOY to RMB3,470.6M ($529.7M). Net income attributable to Momo decreased to RMB461.7M ($70.5M) from RMB538.9M in the same period of 2020. Monthly Active Users on Momo app were 115.3M in March 2021, compared to 108M in March 2020. Total paying users of our live video service and value-added service, including 3.5 million paying users of Tantan, were 12.6M for the Q1 of 2021, compared to 12.8M for the Q1 of 2020, which included 4.2M paying users of Tantan.

See full article at Momo website

See the top news on Momo