Bumble Inc

New dating apps like Thursday and POM are focusing their efforts on pandemic-weary singles ready to connect via in-person events.

According to a profile of the apps in Business Insider, the apps’ founders saw opportunity as singles grew tired of virtual dating during pandemic lockdowns. As restrictions are starting to lift across the globe, singles are eager to mingle in person again, which is providing new opportunities.

London and New York have both become test cities for Thursday’s events, according to Business Insider. The app has been hosting events in these locations, up to 15 per week that are surpassing venue capacity. This might change in the coming weeks with the latest Omicron surge, but so far it hasn’t slowed the company down.

Bumble’s stock jumped 20 percent after an earnings report from the company showed an increase in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2021, finishing far ahead of analyst expectations.

According to Yahoo!, Bumble’s overall revenue for Q4 in 2021 increased 25.7 percent to $208.2 million compared to $165.60 million for the same quarter the year before, including the negative impact from foreign currency movements year over year. Total paying users also increased 10.6 percent to 3 million, compared to 2.7 million at the end of 2020. Total average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) was $22.83 in Q4 2021, compared to $20.02 in Q4 2020.

While Badoo’s app revenue decreased 3.5 percent to $57.7 million compared with $59.8 million from 2020, Bumble app revenue was on the upswing with a 42.2 percent increase in revenue to $150.5 million in the fourth quarter last year, compared to $105.8 million the year before, not only offsetting but far surpassing the losses.

Dating platform Bumble announced that it will be stopping operations in Russia and Belarus because of the invasion of Ukraine. The company has removed its apps from the Apple Store and Google Play in both countries.

In addition to its signature apps, Bumble has removed its new and popular French app Fruitz, as well as Badoo which is popular across Europe, from app stores in Russia and Belarus, according to The Washington Post.

According to ABC local news in Texas, Bumble said it stands to lose about $20 million in revenue from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine due to the halting of operations. The Washington Post estimates this is less than .1 percent of the Bumble app’s revenue, and 2.8 percent of its revenue across all of its apps.

Bumble made its first acquisition by purchasing fast-growing French dating app Fruitz. 

Fruitz is particularly popular with younger Gen Z daters in France, and Bumble will be adding it to its suite of apps including Badoo, which is popular across Europe. Fruitz caught Bumble’s eye because of its growth among this demographic in Western Europe – including Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Netherlands in addition to France. Fruitz is also gaining ground in French-speaking Canada.

Bumble will not be rebranding Fruitz, according to Tech Crunch. It will provide the resources for Fruitz to expand and operate however, including AI technology, safety features, and marketing. Currently Fruitz is available free for download but users can purchase additional features for a cost.

Recipient of Gold
Tinder

Recipient of Silver
POF

Recipient of Bronze
eHarmony

Once again thanks in part to the pandemic online dating users continue to increase in numbers. In the previous year we saw a lot of dating services add in video chatting to help singles meet at least virtual. This year we didn't get nearly as many new features. Instead most online dating companies have seen their services mature to the point of new features not really affecting how many new users join. Instead these companies are now concentrating on markets outside of North America and Europe to increase revenue. China and India with their huge populations are where the money is at. While the profit per user is lower in these countries, the larger market more than makes up for it.

The 2022 Dating Sites Reviews Single's Choice Award poll went online October 1^st, 2021 and closed for voting on December 31^st, 2021. In 3 months, 338 visitors took time and cast their vote in the poll. This is on par when compared to last year but down by over 20% when compared to the last 5. It is much harder for new dating services to make a dent in the market now thanks to the established brands and their recognition. The only time people consider trying a new dating service is when they have already tried the popular brands and are not seeing the results they like.

For 2022, the poll asked the following question:

Dating app Bumble said that it is actively campaigning to make cyberflashing illegal in England and Wales, as it continues to fight for policies to protect women on dating apps.

The term cyberflashing is used when someone (typically a woman) receives an unsolicited explicit photo via a messaging app or Airdrop. According to a study by YouGov in the UK, 41 percent of women aged 18 to 36 have been sent an “unsolicited photo of a man’s private parts.” This is illegal in many places, but not currently in England or Wales. 

In its own research, Bumble found that 48 percent of women ages 18 to 24 had received an unsolicited and explicit photo just in the last year, with 25 percent saying they felt violated because of it. A majority of almost 60 percent said they felt less trusting of others they interacted with online after the experience, and one quarter said that this occurrence has increased over the course of the pandemic, according to Mashable.