Milestones

Dating app My Transsexual Date has announced it will be officially changing the name of its app to My Transgender Date.

This isn’t the first time the company changed the name of its app, in light of an evolving discourse on how transgender people would like to be identified. In a blog post the company shared, the app began as “My Ladyboy Date” when it launched in 2013, catering to a mostly Asian audience, and later changed to My Transsexual Date to appeal to a global audience. 

Founder Cyril Mazur wrote in a post announcing the move that when the company changed its name to My Transsexual Date, they did consider using the word “transgender” instead, but Mazur found it to be too Western-centric. He noted that in Latin America, which has a big trans population, the word “transexual” is used more than the word “transgenero” (transgender in Spanish), and he felt this was more inclusive among the global population.  

Bumble is set to debut Bumble Brew in New York City, its first brick and mortar branded cafe for people to meet or network while they eat, drink coffee, or share a bottle of wine.

The dating company had plans to debut its Brew location last year, but it got pushed back due to the pandemic. With Covid numbers dropping as vaccination numbers increase, and with the success of its IPO earlier this year, Bumble is rolling out the red carpet for the café’s debut and adding more items to the menu.

Bumble Brew is a partnership between Pasqual Jones from Delicious Hospitality Group and the dating platform, according to Bloomberg. The restaurant will be located next to Pasqual Jones on Kenmare Street in downtown Manhattan, and has been tweaked since its initial concept from “date-friendly,” shareable foods to a more robust menu, according to the partners.

Dating app OkCupid is offering more ways for LGBTQ+ users to identify themselves, and is rolling out the expanded offerings during Pride month.

OkCupid announced the move in a blog post, letting users know that by the end of June, there will be a dedicated space where LGBTQ+ users can choose from a list of over 60 identities to let other members know who they are and how they identify.

In addition to sharing their identities, users can also filter for the types of people or relationships they prefer, giving them more flexibility in their searches.

Dating app Snack has announced it is looking for young Gen Z investors with the launch of its new Gen Z Syndicate on AngelList. 

According to Tech Crunch, this move opens funding to Gen Z community members, the app’s target audience. The company hopes to attract influencers, creatives, and young entrepreneurs to participate in the company’s $2 million ask alongside angel investors and other funding sources, giving them a stake in the app.

Snack is setting this up as a SAFE (small investment future equity), which means its offering is based on future growth, and the company is allocating a certain amount to create its own Gen Z syndicate.

Dating app Bumble exceeded analysts’ expectations when the company reported its first quarter earnings, with revenues and new subscriber numbers significantly higher than what was initially predicted.

Revenue for the dating company rose 43 percent from the same quarter in 2020 to $171 million, up from $79.1 million this time last year, beating expert estimates and even the company’s own predictions. According to Marketwatch, Bumble shared that the number of total paying users also rose significantly, up 30 percent to 2.8 million compared to 2.2 million from the first quarter of 2020. 

This past quarter was also good for Bumbles other dating brands like Badoo. Revenue for them increased year-over-year to $58.1 million.

China-based gay dating app Blued announced that it has obtained an Internet Hospital license to offer men’s health services to its users.

BlueCity, which owns Blued, created its own online health information platform He Health in 2019 to elevate awareness of HIV and its prevention among the app’s users. The health portal will now be rebranded as He Health Internet Hospital, and in addition to providing information and consultations, the online hospital will sell HIV diagnostic kits and work with local authorities to offer testing centers around China. 

Under the new license, doctors and medical professionals will also be able to offer advice and expertise to patients directly through the dating app’s platform. Instead of turning to third party apps for this kind of service, Blued users can feel safer and more confident talking directly with doctors over the dating app about sensitive issues like erectile dysfunction, HIV testing and prevention, and access to prescription medications, according to news website Pan Daily.