LINKEDIN - BeeDee, a sex-positive dating platform, has acquired Meet Kinksters, an app focused on romantic and sexual compatibility. The deal brings BeeDee to the Apple App Store for the first time. Meet Kinksters launched in 2022 and gained attention for its bold branding. BeeDee, co-founded by the creator of BDSMtest.org, launched in 2023 and has grown rapidly. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
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BUSINESS INSIDER - Sitch, an AI matchmaking app, has raised $2M in pre-seed funding led by Andreessen Horowitz's accelerator A16z Speedrun. The startup launched in New York City in Nov 2024 and plans to expand to other U.S. cities. Sitch uses a matchmaker chatbot built on OpenAI, trained on hundreds of real-life introductions by cofounder Nandini Mullaji, a part-time matchmaker. Users answer detailed questions about values and dating preferences, then receive up to five curated matches per week. They pay upfront, with pricing tiers ranging from $90 (3 setups) to $160 (8 setups). If ghosted after a setup, users get a refund. Sitch is also rolling out voice-based AI features and hiring full-time staff post-Speedrun. It manually reviews new user applications for quality and safety.
by Sydney Bradley
See full article at Business Insider
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PR NEWSWIRE - DateSpot has acquired ValleyMatch to expand its AI-powered, pay-per-match matchmaking model across the U.S. DateSpot was founded by Carla Swiryn, a former Google marketer and experienced matchmaker who has matched hundreds of couples since 2014. ValleyMatch was launched in 2023 by Rebecca and Loc Nguyen, with a focus on modern, tech-enabled matchmaking. Rebecca will stay on through the transition. The acquisition brings ValleyMatch users access to DateSpot's larger network and AI features, while reinforcing DateSpot's position in the growing market for personalized, efficient matchmaking.
See full article at PR Newswire
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TURKIYE TODAY - Match Group quietly acquired Muslim matchmaking app Salams in late 2023, with the deal only revealed in a February 2025 earnings report. The move sparked backlash from users who said they were not informed. Criticism intensified after Match appointed Spencer Rascoff as CEO - the same day the acquisition was disclosed. Rascoff's past board role at surveillance firm Palantir and public support for the Israeli military have raised concerns among Muslim users. Some communities are now boycotting Salams and urging users to switch to other platforms.
See full article at Turkiye Today
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RETAIL NEWS - ProSiebenSat.1 is buying back full control of NuCom and ParshipMeet Group from investor General Atlantic in a deal that includes: €10M in cash, 5.9 M of its own shares (worth ~€38M) and a €50M payout due if ParshipMeet is sold later. The deal excludes beauty platform flaconi, where General Atlantic will keep a 28.4% stake, and ProSiebenSat.1 holds the rest. One condition for completing the deal is the sale of comparison site Verivox. This move gives ProSiebenSat.1 full control over its dating and e-commerce businesses and more flexibility for future sales or investments.
See full article at Retail News
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REUTERS - ProSiebenSat.1 shares dropped sharply after the company announced it's in talks to buy back General Atlantic's minority stake in NuCom Group, which owns several digital businesses, including ParshipMeet Group. This would give ProSieben full ownership of ParshipMeet and other NuCom assets while Verivox (a price comparison site) and Flaconi (a perfume retailer) are still being prepared for sale. Investors reacted negatively because they expected ProSieben to sell off non-TV businesses and not buy more of them. This follows pressure from its biggest shareholders, Italy's MFE-MediaForEurope and Czech group PPF, to focus only on its core broadcasting business.
by Isabel Demetz & Klaus Lauer
See full article at Reuters
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VENTURE BEAT - Social Discovery Group is starting SDG Lab, a $20M corporate venture fund that will invest in social discovery startups. Led by former CMO Alex Kudos, SDG Lab will support early-stage companies working on AI communication, VR/AR technology, and social platforms. More than just an investor, SDG Lab offers legal, tech, marketing, and back-office support to help startups scale. The fund has already invested in startups like Flure (safety-first dating app), AstroLove (horoscope-based dating), Kiseki (cross-border dating in Japan), and VR Chat&Date (VR-powered dating).
by Dean Takahashi
See full article at Venture Beat
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OPW - Mattr, a dating app focused on creating a safer and more inclusive experience, is currently raising funds on Crowdcube, with £121,286 secured from 72 investors towards its £150,000 target. The company has previously raised over £400,000 from angel investors and ADA Ventures. The funds from this round will go toward marketing and platform development as Mattr works to grow its user base and introduce monetization.
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KOREATECHDESK - Korean company Curelation, operator of the KRUSH app, has received seed funding from Mashup Ventures to drive growth and international expansion. While the investment amount remains undisclosed, KRUSH plans to broaden its reach to countries like Canada, the UK, and Australia. Operating in major U.S. cities like New York and LA, KRUSH offers features tailored to Asian users, including facial recognition matching, interest-based recommendations, and offline gatherings.
by Dae-Jung Park
See full article at KoreaTechDesk
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PRESS RELEASE - Three Day Rule Matchmaking has been acquired by a private investment group, appointing Adam Cohen-Aslatei as its new CEO. A dating industry veteran, Cohen-Aslatei previously founded and sold the dating app S'More and held leadership roles at Bumble and The Meet Group. Under his leadership, Three Day Rule plans to expand nationwide, launch coaching programs, and introduce an app to support singles in building lasting relationships. The company remains focused on personalized matchmaking and relationship wellness.
See full article at Globe Newswire
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