Marketing

India-based dating app Schmooze just raised $4 million from Elevation Capital and other angel investors.

The meme-based dating app founded by Vidya Madhavan and Abhinav Bengaluru helps people connect based on their senses of humor and allows them to express their personalities creatively through memes. The round of funding also included investments from the founders of Ultrahuman, The Souled Store, Mosaic Wellness and Paytm, according to Economic Times.

The funding comes at a time when dating app revenue has been declining and dating app companies are struggling to better monetize their platforms. Many are turning to AI for enhanced features, like photo selection, helping users craft bios, and added safety features, hoping to attract users willing to pay for such perks.

Schmooze is also touting its AI-driven features, and said that the new funds will be used to enhance its AI engine as well as for growing the company, according to Economic Times.

Gay dating app Grindr has launched a new online show called Host or Travel, which explores different “gayborhoods” (or gay-friendly neighborhoods) around the world, launched in tandem with testing its new travel-friendly “Roam” feature.

According to the trailer for the show, Host or Travel features specific cities with prominent LGBTQ communities, and looks at their local cultures, nightlife, and events that might interest Grindr users. The show has featured destinations like Madrid, Spain; Rio De Janeiro, Brazil; Los Angeles, U.S.; Zipolite, Mexico; Berlin, Germany; and Malta.

The show centers on singles traveling to these key destinations and using the Grindr app to meet locals who can share insider knowledge and give them a peek into the gayborhood in each city, including private parties and hole-in-the-wall bars.

According to Mashable, Grindr is developing an interactive map to help users find LGBTQ-friendly hotspots in their cities like those featured in the show. The company is also highlighting its Roam feature which lets Grindr users temporarily set their location to anywhere in the world so they can chat with local matches and make plans ahead of a trip (similar to Tinder’s Passport feature).

Tinder has partnered with e.l.f. Cosmetics in a new collaboration to promote self-confidence and self-expression when heading out to meet someone new.

The partners are launching the “put your e.l.f. out there” Vault collection, which introduces new beauty products designed to help Tinder users “face the first date.” The collection includes three exclusive products: All Slick, No Ick Face Primer and Set-uationship Setting Mist, packaged in a “Flame Changer” makeup bag.

In addition to the exclusive products, the collaboration includes the dating app-focused Tinder Box Lip Trio, which has lip oils like Spice Things Up and Keep Your Cool. The makeup also includes a red lipliner called Red-Y for Anything.

The idea for the collaboration began with a study that found 35 percent of singles see first dates as a great opportunity to try new makeup looks. Researchers at Censuswide, a member of the British Polling Council, surveyed over 4,000 daters ages 18 and up across the UK and US in late August.

Image: Tinder

Tinder has released new features and added perks in time for college students headed back to campus. The move signals the company’s continued priority to market to younger Gen Z singles.

One interesting perk is that Tinder will offer college students a 50% discount for any of its premium services of Plus, Gold, and Platinum, according to Tech Crunch. This comes after the dating app company has struggled to retain paying users, reporting a loss of 400,000 paying users in the last quarter.

Tinder also announced a series of updates to Tinder U, its in-app feature for college students to find others on their campuses to connect with. One new feature for Tinder U includes new badges to add to their profiles, such as graduation year, major, clubs they are a part of, and their fraternity/ sorority life.

The United States military has allegedly run an ad campaign on dating app Tinder in Lebanon warning the app users that it is “fully prepared” to “protect its partners” according to The New York Post.

The news comes as tensions are rising in the Middle East as the Israel-Hamas war rages on. One journalist Seamus Malekafzali posted on X that he was on the dating app while in Lebanon, but instead of being presented with potential matches to swipe through, he saw an ad from CENTCOM (US Central Command).

The ad he saw read that CENTCOM is: “fully prepared and ready with F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Tudor Bolt supersonic fighters currently in the region,” written in Arabic, along with a photo of an A-10 warplane, according to The New York Post.

Image: Bumble

Bumble has announced it is partnering with the New York Liberty women’s basketball team for the remainder of the season, building on its multi-year deal with the WNBA.

The partnership is intended to “create local opportunities for Bumble users and Liberty fans to connect over a shared love of women’s basketball,” according to Liberty’s website.  New York Liberty became the first team to get a spot in the WNBA Playoffs, and Bumble is serving as sponsor of home games during the first month of games. The dating app company will be hosting a singles event in the arena for fans and Bumble users.

Bumble is also featuring Liberty players in a new social media campaign, where Bumble users can get dating advice from Liberty players (as well as the team’s mascot).