Bumble Inc

Bumble disclosed in an exclusive to website Bustle that they will soon be launching a new feature called BumbleSpots to help its members meet face-to-face.

BumbleSpots offers Bumble-verified locations where its members can meet so they feel safe grabbing a drink with a match for the first time IRL. It’s a new way for the female-friendly dating app to appeal to its prime market: single women.

Getting people to meet in person instead of messaging each other over a dating app is no small feat. Tinder and Hinge have been trying different approaches to get users to meet face to face, but it’s still a difficult proposition. This is especially tough for female daters, who feel unsafe meeting strangers at locations or neighborhoods that are unfamiliar. Bumble wants to remove as many barriers as possible for women to feel more empowered in the online dating process - not only to reach out via a dating app, but also initiate meeting in person.

Bumble continues to dominate dating industry headlines. In recent months, the company continued its high-profile legal battle with Match Group, debuted in India with the help of actress Priyanka Chopra, launched a fund to invest in women-founded companies, and announced an upcoming line of beauty products. Bumble also revealed that it is exploring an IPO, a rare move in the dating space.

“Our revenue is remarkable, and it is only going to get better,” Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd told Forbes in September. “There is a need for a new IPO in this space, and we offer something that nobody else offers. This would allow us to really spread our wings at a new level.”

Plans for the IPO appear to be moving forward. Andrey Andreev, the majority shareholder of Bumble’s parent company, publicly discussed a possible Nasdaq listing with Bloomberg in October. “We’re now in very deep discussions with banks,” including JPMorgan Chase & Co., he said. “The listing would be on the Nasdaq. It’s been in the air for ages, but the serious consideration has happened only recently -- in the past month.”

Is the end in sight for the legal battle between Match Group and Bumble?

According to documents filed in Texas last month, Bumble is looking to drop its $400 million countersuit against Match Group, which alleged Match interfered with its business operations, fraudulently obtained trade secrets, and intentionally tried to make Bumble less appealing to other potential acquirers. The countersuit was filed in response to a lawsuit from Match that claims Bumble infringed on several patents related to Tinder.

Initial attempts to settle failed and the war appeared poised to rage on, but a statement released by Match Group in early November indicated that Bumble will drop its lawsuit. A notice of non-opposition filed by Match confirms the company’s intent to support Bumble dropping its claims, provided the court issues declaratory judgments validating Match’s patents and Bumble’s alleged infringement of them, and absolving Match from allegedly stealing Bumble’s trade secrets.

Image: BFA.com/Zach Hilty

Bumble announced the launch of its female-friendly app in India with a celebrity dinner at the Gramercy Hotel in New York.

CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd joined Indian actress Priyanka Chopra, who just partnered with Bumble to bring the app to her home country. They hosted a dinner for women of Indian heritage who are at the top of their respective fields to celebrate the launch.

According to Forbes who reported on the event, attendees included Vanity Fair’s Radhika Jones, Hillary Clinton’s former political staffer Huma Abedin, Teen Vogue’s Samhita Mukhopadhyay, Saks Fifth Avenue’s Roopal Patel, fashion designer Anita Dongre, and Girls Who Code co-founder Reshma Saujani. The Daily Show’s Aasif Mandvi was also in attendance.

Badoo announced the launch of a new feature that the dating app company says will curb ghosting.

The feature offers pre-existing responses to users who might have ghosted their matches. For example, if you haven’t responded in three days to a match’s message, you’ll get a gentle nudge with offers of what to say, depending on whether you want to meet the person or just move on. Badoo wants to improve the online dating experience by encouraging users to be more communicative with their matches.

The responses Badoo offers vary. If a user is interested in a date, they can choose: "Hey, sorry for the late reply. When are you free to meet?" If a user is not that into a match, then they can choose, "Hey I think you're great, but I don't see us as a match. Take care!"

Image: bumble

Hold the (smart) phone. After years as an app-only platform, Bumble has launched a web version of its popular dating service for use on laptops, desktops, and tablets.

Bumble announced the news with a blog post and video that offer a glimpse of the sleek, user-friendly Bumble Web experience. Current users can access their accounts on www.bumble.com by signing in via their usual method (Facebook or phone number). New users still need to create an account through the app before using the browser version, but Bumble promises that functionality is coming to Bumble Web soon. If you don't see the "Sign In" button yet on the Bumble website toolbar, check back soon as Bumble Web may not yet be available in your area.

Once signed in, the simple interface displays existing chats and matches in a column to the left of the screen. Potential new matches appear to the right. Users can scroll through a profile using the up and down arrow keys or by clicking the up and down arrows at the top and bottom of the profile. To like or pass on a profile, use the left and right arrow keys or click the two prominent icons at the bottom of the screen.