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

Chinese AIG Claims 350M Registered Users

GLOBAL CHINA DAILY - Asia Innovations Group (AIG), a global operator of mobile social platforms and services, is mainly focusing on emerging markets, including the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia (especially India and Pakistan), Southeast Asia, the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, with 12 offices across the globe. Founded in 2013, AIG offers a rich product portfolio that mainly covers video social, social dating and social fandom. As of March 31, it had ~350M registered users. Uplive, a live video social platform, allows viewers to broadcast and view real-time videos. The app has ~200M registered users. Lamour, which offers video dating, voice and text messages and mini-games, was the most downloaded mobile dating app in emerging markets last year. At present, the majority of AIG's revenue comes from virtual gifts.

by Fan Feifei
See full article at Global China Daily

See the top news on Lamour

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GDI London: Confirmed Speakers

OPW - It's been quite a while since the dating industry got together IRL. In March 2019 there was a GDI conference in New York, along with an IDEA SUMMIT, and Global Love Conference. Three back-to-back conferences, and then the pandemic hit. Now, after over two years GDI is back, in London, on Thursday 23rd September. Geoff Cook, the co-CEO of ParshipMeet Group will be speaking (virtually). I'll be speaking (virtually) (my bio). Bill Alena is there (IRL), CIO and head of M&A for The Dating Group. Also Masha Kodden, who is MD of Inner Circle will be speaking. Pick up your tix for London here.

Match Group Asks Dutch Regulators to Reveal Possible Apple Antitrust Decision

REUTERS - Last week, Match Group filed a letter with Dutch competition authorities saying it believes the regulator has reached a decision in a complaint against Apple and asked for the decision to be made public. Match Group filed a complaint with the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) in 2020 alleging that Apple had violated Dutch antitrust laws by forcing Match to use Apple's in-app payment systems and pay commissions to Apple.

by Stephen Nellis
See full article at Reuters

See the top news on Match Group

Why Kippo CEO David Park Sees Social Gaming as the New Way to Date

DOT.LA - Kippo, a startup that makes a dating app for gamers was created by an ex-Wall Street trader and Raya engineer whose codes helped predict the success of stocks. But David Park said Kippo doesn't believe in algorithms. The dating app for gamers lets users sign up to create profiles where they can highlight their favorite games, astrology signs and their type of personality. Matched users can chat and play games with each other. Although it's free, there's a $9.99 premium version. Park, an avid gamer, said he thought gaming and dating were a perfect match. Gamers already loved to interact online. They don't want to play alone. Gaming with someone takes the pressure off of dating. It's a shared experience. Last year, Kippo raised a $2M seed funding. It's using the cash to revamp the app. with the emphasis on 'experience'.

by Katherine Abando
See full article at Dot.la

See the top news on Kippo

Match Shares Jump on S&P 500 Addition

YAHOO FINANCE - Match Group is getting added to the broader stock market index, and its shares are soaring 9% in response during extended-hours trading. The changes in the S&P 500 are part of the index's quarterly shufflings based on the latest market activity. In order for Match to keep their spot, it must maintain a minimum market cap of $13.1B. Match shouldn't have any trouble as it currently boasts a market cap of $41B.

by Gerelyn Terzo
See full article at Yahoo Finance

See the top news on Match Group

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Courtland Brooks Is Hiring

OPW - Sep 4 - Courtland Brooks is a unique agency/consultancy that just serves Internet dating and online social communities. See www.courtlandbrooks.com. We work with startups thru $500m+ a year revenue companies. We also work with best-in-class vendors who wish to approach the industry. We're hiring new advisors. Pay is hourly. We promise the work is interesting and impactful. The Courtland Brooks team are all entirely remote, so location is not an issue. Please email [email protected] if you are interested in joining the Courtland Brooks team.

Match CEO and Bumble Create Relief Funds for Employees Affected by Texas Abortion Law

CNBC - Sep 1 - Companies behind the U.S.'s largest dating apps are reacting to Texas' restrictive abortion law. Bumble said it was creating a relief fund supporting people seeking abortions in the state. Match Group CEO Shar Dubey also announced in a memo to employees that she would personally create a fund to support Texas-based employees and dependents impacted by the legislation.

by Jessica Bursztynsky
See full article at CNBC

See the top news on Bumble
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Aisle's Portfolio Reaches 6.5M Members

BW DISRUPT - Sep 2 - Over the last two years, Aisle's member base has grown by 100% and in 2020 alone, Aisle's member base grew by 50%. 45% of Aisle's revenue came from Tier 2 & 3 cities in 2020 as compared to 38% in 2019. Aisle is India's second most downloaded dating app. It has announced that the total member base on its portfolio apps has now touched ~6.5M. Aisle's portfolio of apps include high intent dating app Aisle and vernacular apps 'Arike' and 'Anbe' designed exclusively for Malayalam and Tamil speaking audiences respectively.

See full article at BW Disrupt

See the top news on Aisle
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See the top news on Arike

Match Group Prepares for 'Cuffing Season'

CNBC - Sep 2 - Match Group Americas CEO Amarnath Thombre joins Closing Bell to discuss Match Group's stock, which is down 13% in the last two months. He's hopeful that the incoming fall and winter will drive singles to seek companionship and start using Match's apps.

See full article at The Global Herald

See the top news on Match Group

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ParshipMeet Prepares for IPO in 2022

REUTERS - Sep 1 - Dating group ParshipMeet has started preparations for an IPO next year. ParshipMeet, which is 43% owned by buyout group General Atlantic and 53% by German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 Media, has invited banks to pitch for roles in the listing. ProSieben CEO Rainer Beaujean has publicly set his sights on floating ParshipMeet in 2022. Its e-commerce business bought The Meet Group last year for $467M and renamed it ParshipMeet Group. ParshipMeet could be worth upward of 3.5B euros ($4.1B). ParshipMeet reported H1 revenues of 280M euros, up 19% on a pro-forma basis, while EBITDA climbed to 61M euros.

by Arno Schuetze & Douglas Busvine
See full article at Reuters

See the top news on ParshipMeet Group

Dating App Ziinkle Raising Money on Birchal Crowdfunding Platform

YAHOO FINANCE - Sep 1 - When entrepreneurs Melanie Leahy and Elisse Alexander decided they wanted to build a dating app, they knew they wanted to use equity crowdfunding to make it happen. The pair's dating app, Ziinkle, offers the usual swipe and chat functions, along with a feature allowing users to scope out potential venues where other singles are mingling. Now, they're looking to raise money through equity crowdfunding. The startup hopes to raise $500K and $1M on equity crowdfunding platform Birchal.

by Lucy Dean
See full article at Yahoo Finance

Banned and Blocked: LGBT+ Websites Censored From Russia to Indonesia

THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION - Sep 1 - The Russian LGBT Network has been able to challenge shutdowns in court. 32 different LGBT+ websites were blocked at least once on Russian internet providers between mid-2016 and mid-2020. Same-sex relations in Russia are legal, but attitudes about sexuality and gender identity remain conservative. In a 2020 referendum, voters backed an amendment to the constitution to allow marriage only between a man and a woman, closing the door on same-sex weddings.

Website bans violate Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), of which Indonesia, Iran and Russia are signatories. The multilateral treaty says "everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression ... (including) freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers".

Iran blocked the highest number of website addresses linked to LGBT+ content. 75 unique LGBTIQ URLs were detected as blocked in Iran, followed by the UAE with 51 unique LGBTIQ URLs were found to be blocked. Five years ago, Indonesia's government said it would move to ban LGBT+ sites, and at least 38 LGBT+ websites are currently blocked. Grindr is banned in Indonesia, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE.

by Hugo Greenhalgh
See full article at Thomson Reuters Foundation News