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

New Competitors - Sniffies, Archer, and Motto - Challenge Grindr's Dominance

FAST COMPANY - Sniffies, Archer, and Motto are emerging competitors to Grindr by focusing on specific aspects of the LGBTQ+ dating scene. Sniffies emphasizes anonymous hookups through a map-based interface, catering to users exploring their sexuality. Archer, from Match Group, targets users looking for more genuine connections by requiring photo verification and focusing on dating rather than casual encounters. Motto, created by Grindr's founder, removes anonymity completely by requiring headshots. Despite these challenges, Grindr remains dominant, expanding its features and focusing on user needs.

by Henry Chandonnet
See full article at Fast Company

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LGBTQ+ Online Dating: a Historical Overview

THE BAY AREA REPORTER - In 1993, Andy Cramer, the CEO of Caregiving Network, founded Gay.Net, one of the earliest platforms for gay men, especially during the HIV/AIDS crisis. This bulletin board system (BBS) later merged with Gay.com, reaching 4M users by 1999. Back in 1987, Jean Marie Diaz in the U.S. established Sappho, a hub for lesbian email lists. Amy Goodloe further expanded the online lesbian community with lesbian.org in the mid-1990s. In 1999, Gary Frisch and Henry Badenhorst introduced Gaydar, offering chat rooms for queer men. OkCupid launched in 2004 and, while not exclusively LGBTQ+, became popular within the queer community. By 2021, it had broadened its gender and sexual orientation identifiers to 60, collaborating with organizations like the Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD. Joel Simkhai launched Grindr in 2009, the first geolocation dating app specifically for gay men, later expanding its offerings and user base. After leaving Grindr, Simkhai founded Motto, a dating app that aimed to counter "toxicity and discrimination" in some queer dating platforms. In 2015, Robyn Exton established HER, originally known as Dattch, as a platform for the "FLINTA (female, lesbian, intersex, trans, and agender) community," focusing on both dating and community aspects. Tser stands as a dating app for the transgender community, presenting itself as both a dating platform and social community for trans individuals and allies.

by Michele Zipkin
See full article at The Bay Area Reporter

Grindr Founder Joel Simkhai Shares His Favorite App Stories

OUT - Joel Simkhai, the founder of Grindr, shares memorable stories from users of the iconic dating app and discusses his latest venture, a new LGBTQ+ dating app called Motto. While acknowledging the shortcomings of existing apps, Simkhai aims to create a more authentic and personal experience with Motto by requiring three face photos and encouraging users to provide detailed information on their profiles. The app focuses on fostering connections while combating racism, transphobia, and hatred. Motto has launched in NYC and plans to expand across the United States.

by Ricky Cornish
See full article at Out Magazine

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Grindr's Founder Is Launching Dating App Motto

GIZMODO - Joel Simkhai is back with a new gay dating app, Motto, that aims to tamp down on behavior most associated with Grindr. Simkhai founded Grindr in 2009, two years after the first iPhone was unveiled. By 2018, he had sold it to Beijing Kunlun Tech for $245M. The app was sold again in 2020 for $608.5M. In the same year, Grindr was reported to have 13M users.

Q: Why are you getting back into the business of online dating?
Joel Simkhai: One of my great joys in life is being a matchmaker and seeing people meet and connect.

Q: Why the name Motto?
A: A motto is what users stand for. And their profile is meant to be a statement.

Q: The app says "No more headless torsos." Why is that?
A: We really want to mimic the real-life experience of meeting someone at a bar, on the street, or at a party. What's the first thing you do when you meet them? You look them in the eye.

Q: How many users do you have now? How long is the wait list?
A: We're not we're not sharing specific user numbers right now. We just launched a few days ago. We're seeing some folks chatting already and meeting.

Q: What can you tell me about the matchmaking algorithm that's going into Motto?
A: We're still in the early days. It's not super advanced. It's something that we're going to be leveraging in the future and building up.

by Blake Montgomery
See full article at Gizmondo