Internet Dating Investments

Dating Group Acquires Slow Dating App Once for $18M

WUV.DE - Jan 19 - Once, the dating app that connects two people once a day with the help of AI, has been acquired by Dating Group for $18M (a combination of cash and Dating Group shares). Once claims ~10M users, and is popular in Germany, France and Italy. Clémentine Lalande, Once CEO, will continue to lead the company. The 37-year-old founded another feminist dating app, called Pickable, which she sold to Once in May 2019, and became the CEO.

by Nadia Riaz
See full article at Wuv.de

This post also appears on OnlinePersonalsWatch

Nigerian Dating App Trueflutter Raises Funding From 3 Angel Networks

DISRUPT AFRICA - Dec 7 - Nigerian startup Trueflutter, which has built a matchmaking app designed specifically for Africans across the world, has raised funding from three local angel networks. Trueflutter will use the investment to accelerate its growth plans.

by Tom Jackson
See full article at Disrupt Africa

This post also appears on OnlinePersonalsWatch

Chinese Gay Dating App Blued to Acquire Finka for $36.5M

CGTN - Nov 25 - BlueCity, the parent company of Blued will acquire Finka, a leading gay social networking app in China targeting younger generations for 240M yuan ($36.5M). It's the second acquisition BlueCity has initiated since the company listed on Nasdaq in July. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions that are expected by mid-December. The company also bought LESDO, a dating app focused on China's lesbian community, in August. Finka had ~2.7M registered users in 2019. The majority of the app's users are born after 1995 and are from China's first-tier cities. The app allows users to establish social contact and share their daily life through features like matching, private message, posting moments and lifecasting. Blued now has 54M registered users.

See full article at CGTN

This post also appears on OnlinePersonalsWatch

Yubo, Tinder for Youngsters, Raised $47.5M

TECH CRUNCH - Nov 18 - French startup Yubo, which focuses on young people under 25, has managed to attract 40M users. A fraction of them hang out every day in live-streaming rooms, meet new people and spend money for more features. Yubo expects to double its revenue this year to $20M. The app has recently closed a Series C funding round of $47.5M (previously raised $19.5M) With this funding round, Yubo will expand its team. There are currently 30 employees in Paris, London and Jacksonville. Yubo will open an office in New York.

by Romain Dillet
See full article at Tech Crunch

This post also appears on OnlinePersonalsWatch

Cobble, Dating App for Couples, Raises $3M

NEW YORK BUSINESS JOURNAL - Oct 24 - The app said the funding came from a group of investors including Kerr Tech Investments. Cobble, which is available in New York City, helps couples decide on things like what restaurants to go to, what movies to watch and what books to read. "We are trying to make it easier for couples to make decisions and communicate," said Jordan Scott, Cobble's founder and CEO. The app is hiring and plans to roll out into new cities in the near future.

by Ben Miller
See full article at New York Business Journal

This post also appears on OnlinePersonalsWatch

The Round, an Austin-based App, Takes Speed Dating Virtual

STATESMAN - Oct 21 - Austin entrepreneur Zachary Casler estimates that dating app users spend ~10 hours a week swiping away looking for matches. But when it comes to his company's app, The Round, Casler is hoping users will spend just a few minutes a day. His app is designed to get users straight to a date. Casler, who serves as CEO, co-founded the company with Brian Atwood, who is CTO. The company has a team of 10 employees. Casler previously led Dindr, a food-focused dating app that will set up dinner and a date with a similar technology concept. However, Tinder sent the app a cease-and-desist letter because of the name similarity in 2018. Casler pivoted, founding The Round in July 2018. The app mirrors speed dating. At 2PM each day, users can set their preferences for where in Austin and what time they would like to go on a date, and look through a list of 5-15 profiles of people who chose the same preference. When a match is made, the app suggests date options. The Round raised $550K to date prior to its launch. It also is beginning another funding round, with the goal of raising $2M - $3M.

by Kara Carlson
See full article at Statesman

This post also appears on OnlinePersonalsWatch

Spectrum Labs Raises $10M for Its AI-based Platform to Combat Online Toxicity

TECH CRUNCH - Sep 24 - Spectrum Labs - which has built algorithms and a set of APIs that can be used to detect toxic behavior, has raised $10M in a Series A round of funding. The company plans to use the capital to expand its platform. The company has raised ~$14M to date. Spectrum Labs works with a wide range of companies, including The Meet Group. Spectrum Labs' AI-based platform is currently set up to scan for ~40 kinds of toxic behavior profiles such as harassment, hate speech, scams, grooming, illegal solicitation, and doxxing.

by Ingrid Lunden
See full article at Tech Crunch

This post also appears on OnlinePersonalsWatch

Skye Life Ventures and SuperDate Networks Enter Into Merger Agreement

PRESS RELEASE - Sep 10 - Skye Life Ventures Ltd. and SuperDate Networks have entered into an amalgamation agreement. Skye will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of SuperDate. SuperDate, is a private technology company, incorporated in British Columbia, Canada in 2014. SuperDate has developed a niche dating software application that matches users through common interests and activities. It is designed to be the first vertical scrolling dating app showing an array of activities and experiences in and around the user's city. Skye Life Ventures Inc. operates as a holding company acquiring valued-added operating subsidiaries focused in the technology, cannabis and other markets.

See full article at Newsfile

This post also appears on OnlinePersonalsWatch

TrulyMadly Raises Rs 8.1 Crore

ECONOMIC TIMES - Aug 31 - Indian dating app TrulyMadly has raised $1.1M (Rs. 8.1 crore) from several angel investors and a venture capital firm. The company reported a revenue of Rs. 3.60 crore ($493.4k) in the financial year 2018, Rs. 3.48 crore ($476.9k) in 2019 and Rs. 3.45 crore ($472.8k) in 2020. However, this fiscal year, the company expects to reach Rs. 9 crore ($1.2M) in revenue.

by Megha Mandavia
See full article at Economic Times

This post also appears on OnlinePersonalsWatch

Parent Company of Blued Buys Lesbian Platform

REUTERS - Aug 26 - BlueCity, the owner of China's biggest gay men dating app Blued, has bought a Chinese lesbian dating app LESDO, marking the first ever deal within the country's LGBT market. Launched in 2014, LESDO is an app for lesbians. It is believed to be the second most popular lesbian social app in China after Rela. BlueCity raised $84.8M in a Nasdaq IPO in July that valued it at $614M.

by Colin Qian & Brenda Goh
See full article at Reuters

This post also appears on OnlinePersonalsWatch