LINKEDIN – French social events company Dixner has acquired CrushParty. The company organises in-person events where singles can meet. Dixner launched three years ago with dinners that bring ten strangers together and has since attracted 100,000 registered users. The acquisition will lead to Dixner Crush, a new series of singles-only events. Dixner will continue running its existing dinners, parties and workshops. CrushParty founders Charlotte Werba, Lucie Le Cadre and Romain Nibourel will join the company as investors.
LTR – In this conversation, Mark Brooks sits down with Dr. Stephen Whitehead, sociologist, gender studies expert, and author of The End of Sex, to explore the profound social changes reshaping love, intimacy, marriage, and the dating industry.
Stephen explains what he means by “the end of sex” and argues that the traditional gender arrangement that once shaped adult life is breaking down. The conversation explores the growing divergence between men and women, the rise of independent femininity, changing expectations around relationships, and why many dating platforms may still be designing for outdated assumptions about what women and men want.
They also discuss masculinity, emotional intelligence, emotional labor, the “semantic gap” between men and women, and the growing influence of AI companions. Stephen argues that the future of dating may depend on platforms moving beyond maximizing swipes and engagement, and instead helping people develop the understanding and skills needed to build meaningful relationships.
EQUITY BULLS – Matrimony.com reported quarterly billings of ₹13,109 lakhs ($13.5M), up 10.7% YOY. Billings for the first six months of FY27 reached ₹26,711 lakhs ($27.6M), an increase of 9.2%. Almost all billings came from matchmaking, which generated ₹13,030 lakhs ($13.5M) during the quarter. Other marriage services declined to ₹79 lakhs ($82K).
BUSINESS STANDARD – Info Edge, the Indian internet company behind Naukri.com, 99acres, Jeevansathi and dating app Aisle, reported Q2 FY27 billings of ₹822.3 crore ($85M), up 12.8% YOY. Jeevansathi grew 18.4% to ₹39.7 crore ($4.1M), while Aisle recorded 40% growth. Combined billings from the company’s matchmaking and dating brands increased by 23.1%.
MARKETECH – Tinder has launched its Events feature in Tokyo, with plans to expand it across Japan. Users can browse local activities, see who plans to attend, and match with other attendees after the event. Events include runs, board-game meetups, café socials, book clubs, workshops, and live music. Bookings are handled by third-party organisers, while Tinder requires participants to complete photo verification.
LINKEDIN – Digital identity and age-verification company Yoti has ranked 52nd in the Financial Times and Statista list of the UK’s fastest-growing companies for 2027. Yoti increased annual revenue from £6.25M in the year ending March 2023 to £32M in the year ending March 2026. The company has been profitable since March 2025. Revenue in Sep 2026 was 60% higher than in Sep 2025. Yoti continues to invest in its age-assurance, identity-verification, liveness, and fraud-detection services.
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SCHWULISSIMO – Perry Street Software, the company behind Scruff and Jack’d, has acquired gay bear dating app Growlr from The Meet Group. Financial terms were not disclosed. PSS plans to invest millions in the app, with a redesigned version due in early 2027. Updates will include new profiles, chat and video features, stronger action against bots, and the return of Flashes. The company will also expand Growlr’s presence at bear events and launch a clothing collection. Growlr says it has ~500K daily users.
MASHABLE – BLK has launched an Events feature in 29 US cities following a trial in Atlanta, where 65% of eligible active users engaged with it. The Match Group dating app, which has ~13M downloads, said 60% of its users prefer meeting in shared spaces, but six in ten do not know where to meet people. Users can find local events, reserve places, invite friends, and connect with other attendees before, during. and after each event.
NEW YORK POST – A Kellogg’s survey found that 64% of Australian singles are open to breakfast first dates, while 31% believe morning dates reduce the pressure. Breakfast and coffee dates are also cheaper and offer an easy exit if there is no chemistry.
