TECH CRUNCH - May 2 - Live video in a dating app context raises some immediate risk flags, including around inappropriate behavior which could put off users. "I pressed 'play' last night and after about 45 clicks on 'Next' encountered 5 straight up penis shots," said TechCrunch's former co-editor Alexia Tsotsis when she tested video chat app Chatroulette back in 2010. Clearly Badoo will be hoping to achieve a much better ratio of quality conversation. The video chat will only be switched on once both parties have matched and exchanged at least one message each. The company also says live video can help enhance dating app safety - saying the feature can be a way for users to suss out a stranger to see whether seem trustworthy before risking meeting in person, and also help to weed out fake profiles and catfishing.
29 posts categorized "Reporters - Natasha Lomas"
Badoo Adds Live Video Chat
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YC-backed Muzmatch Doesn't Want To Be Tinder For Muslims
TECH CRUNCH - Aug 3 - Muzmatch's dating app might look best described as a 'Tinder for Muslims' but co-founders Shahzad Younas and Ryan Brodie argue that Muzmatch is for people who are looking for a partner in order to get married. Two years after the launch of the first version of the app, Muzmatch has ~200k users, and is growing ~10%, month on month, according to the co-founders. The founders say the app has led to ~6k couples getting together so far. All users have to take a selfie via the app so their profile can be manually verified to help boost trust and keep out spammers. Users are also asked to rate others they have interacted with to promote positive behaviors.
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Swiss Dating App Blinq Acquired By Outdoor Ad Firm APG|SGA
TECH CRUNCH - Feb 3 - The price of the deal wasn't disclosed, but given Blinq's limited traction, it probably wasn't very high. The dating app, that was incorporating beacon proximity technology, and the algorithm to judge physical attractiveness, also develped by the startup, will be both shut down within two weeks. The team will join APG|SGA to help the company to launch a beacon network for a new division that will be developing interactive ads to work in conjunction with the Bluetooth comms tech. The startup had raised ~ $1M since its launch in 2013 and claims 400k registered users.
by Natasha Lomas
See full article at Tech Crunch
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.
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Online Dating Use Jumps Among Youngest US Adults And The Middle Aged
TECH CRUNCH - Feb 11 - In the past two years, use of online dating has surged among the youngest U.S. adults, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center. 15% of American adults have used online dating sites and/or mobile dating apps, up from 11% in 2013. The usage of dating sites/apps among 18 to 24 rose from 10% in 2013 to 27% now. Pew also notes a spike in usage among 55-64, with digital dating rates doubled from 6% two years ago to 12% now.
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Blume To Kill Catfishing With Ephemeral Selfies
TECHCRUNCH - Jan 16 - A real-time selfie will only be shown for 7 seconds, before disappearing – during which period the user must decide whether they really do want to match with the person in the photo or not. If both Blume users confirm the match they unlock each other's full profiles plus messaging function. Blume soft-launched in the U.S. in late November with 25K users and raised a small, pre-seed round ($250k) from three Danish Business Angels and early stage Danish VC firm SEED Capital.
by Natasha Lomas
See full article at TechCrunch
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.
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Friendsy Raised $500k
TECH CRUNCH - Aug 25 - The 6 month old app is now reporting nearly 100,000 users across the U.S., who have racked up some 750,000 matches within the app thus far, up from 450,000 mutual matches back in March. The Friendsy team has now pulled in a seed funding round coming from Lerer Hippeau Ventures and Slow Ventures. The new financing expands the $200,000+ they had already raised from the same investors, as well as from Princeton University. The seed financing will be used to prep for a big back to school push this fall. Friendsy has built up a network of 100 campus representatives at this stage, to help spread the word about the app.
by Natasha Lomas
See full article at TechCrunch
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.
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Cliick Wants App Users To Click Over Clickbait
TECH CRUNCH - Aug 20 - Cliick is a new dating app that uses news stories as their matching algorithm. Users are matched when they like or discuss similar stories. The content each user sees is tailored to their particular interests, pulled via the app’s Facebook log-in requirement. It also uses its own learning algorithms to keep adapting the content it shows to each person. The app is currently invite-only.
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Match Group Buys PlentyOfFish For $575M
TECH CRUNCH - July 14 - Match Group has agreed to acquire PlentyOfFish (POF) for $575 million in cash and expects to close early in Q4. Tinder flicked the monetization switch this spring. Singles are a core demographic for marketing other types of self-improvement services where Match/IAC also plays.
"As more people than ever use more dating apps than ever with more frequency than ever, PlentyOfFish’s addition both brings new members into our family of products and deepens the lifetime relationship we have with our users across our portfolio," said Sam Yagan, CEO of The Match Group. "I look forward to working closely with Markus and extending the company’s impressive growth trajectory." The acquisition adds 3 million daily actives to IAC’s digital media portfolio of more than 150 brands and 20 operating businesses. Match Group covers ~50 brands in the dating, education and fitness space. IAC reports 370 million unique monthly users and 2.5 billion monthly visits to its entire portfolio.
by Natasha Lomas
See full article at Tech Crunch
Mark Brooks: Recently Markus said he was at a $100 million revenue run rate. Match bought Singlesnet, OKCupid, then Datehookup. So the writing has been on the wall for some time. It was just a matter of price. Tinder showed that Match Group could seed and grow a credible threat to the POF business. It's a good time for Markus to join with Match Group, and cash in his chips.
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This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.
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Rendeevoo Dating App Cuts Straight To Cocktails
TECH CRUNCH - Apr 13 - UK startup Rendeevoo cuts to the chase by cutting out the chat element. Users browse profiles and when they like someone they can place "an order" by selecting when and where they want the date to take place, and then pay for it. They are paying for one cocktail at one of the East London bars that Rendeevoo has partnered with. Both parties have to confirm before the transactions are processed. Users can cancel the date up to 30 minutes before without being penalized. The app soft launched in April 2014 and raised ~$150K over the past 10 months, with ~$50K pulled in from crowdfunding via Seedrs.
by Natasha Lomas
See full article at Tech Crunch
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.
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A Bot Selects Tinder Dates
TECH CRUNCH - Feb 10 - Vancouver-based developer Justin Long created a software that automates Tinder swiping. The software analyzes the facial features of each potential mate — and then likes or dislikes each based on the users' own previously expressed aesthetic choices. The user is required to make 60 yes/no choices before the bot has enough data to choose on their behalf. The Tinder bot can even start conversations with potential mates.
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Couplelizer Encourages Offline Dates
TECH CRUNCH - Feb 3 - With the increasing popularity of dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, Antidate and Bumble, singles are spending a lot more time swiping than going on dates. Couplelizer, a new dating app that launched in November, is aiming to incentivize and accelerate the ‘going on a date’ component. Users can wait around to be invited on dates or they can create dates themselves. Invites include a dynamic expiry time to encourage snappier decisions. If a date doesn’t turn up they can expect to get a negative review from whoever they stood up. The app has ~2K registered users, who have sent ~4K invitations so far. It's free but there’s a virtual currency mechanism to charge for dating events, and for the ability to chat with other users.
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Blinq Tells Users If Their Dating Matches Are In The Bar
TECH CRUNCH - Dec 14 - Swiss startup Blinq is incorporating beacon proximity technology. Blinq's app feature called InstaConnect lets users opt in to be notified if any of their dating matches or singles that fit their criteria happen to be hanging out at the same location. The Blinq team has raised ~$500K in early funding from Swiss angel investors.
by Natasha Lomas
See full article at Tech Crunch
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.
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Antidate Is A Dating App Where Women Are Hidden From Men
TECH CRUNCH - Nov 17 - Antidate is a new dating app where women aren't visible until they send an expression of interest to a guy, such as starting up a chat or tapping on a guy’s profile to say hey. Male users are visible within the app to women, including their location. A full version of Antidate launched last week. Its founders are currently on the hunt for investors.
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Dattch: Pinterest-Inspired App For Gay Women
TECH CRUNCH - Sep 21 - Dattch is a dating app exclusively for lesbians, bisexual and/or bi-curious women, designed by a female team. The app has just closed a £100,000/$160,000 angel/small seed round. "The gay female dating scene is badly served," says founder and CEO Robyn Exton. “Nobody was thinking about a female user, and actually how do women behave? What kind of triggers are they looking for?" So what are gay women looking for? Firstly, lots and lots of photos. Photos of where you live, what you wear, things you like, places you want to go. Dattch is taking its design inspiration from Pinterest. The app’s other focus is a text-based messaging feature.
by Natasha Lomas
See full article at Tech Crunch
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.
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