Features

Match Group CFO Steven Bailey

Image: Match Group

Match Group has promoted Steven Bailey to the position of CFO, taking over for Gary Swidler as he continues in his role as president of the company.

Bailey is currently senior vice president of financial planning and business operations at Match Group, according to Reuters, and will assume his new position on March 31st. According to Reuters, his appointment signals the company’s commitment to “long-term strategic growth” and “strong cost discipline.”

Match Group’s most popular app Tinder has seen paying users and revenue fall in recent quarters, though Hinge continues to grow. The company has allocated a lot of resources to AI-driven features like photo selection and prompts that provide users help with crafting messages and bios, which seem to be the direction many dating apps are going. In fact, Grindr is testing out a new virtual wingman using generative AI.

Chispa, a dating app for Latino singles, has partnered with non-partisan organization Voto Latino to encourage more Latinos to go to the polls.

The dating app launched a co-branded election hub on its platform, offering users information on how to register to vote as well as early voting, mail-in voting, and candidate details according to the press release. Chispa said it created the hub to boost voter registration and participation in the Latino community and will in turn support Voto Latino with a contribution toward their voter drive efforts.

Eighty percent of Chispa users are between 18 and 34 years old, a prime demographic as both political parties target younger voters. Voto Latino provides information on registering to vote (which varies from state to state), as well as polling location information and early voting options.

Image: OkCupid

OkCupid has added a range of new politically-focused questions to its platform along with politically-themed badges ahead of the 2024 US election.

According to CNN, the new questions focus on voter behavior and help users choose more compatible profiles. Some questions include: “Are you voting in the 2024 presidential election?” and “What’s the most important issue to you in the 2024 presidential election?”

Other questions refer to whether singles are willing to bridge the political divide, such as: “Is it a dealbreaker if your date is voting for a different candidate than you in the 2024 presidential election?”

Dating app After just launched in Austin, Texas, and is aimed at ending the pervasive problem of ghosting on dating apps.

According to Tech Crunch, when someone “unmatches” a person on After, they are required to let the app know why before they can keep swiping. It can be for any number of reasons – from distance issues to just a general vibe of non-interest, and the app will send a kind message to the other user in return. The idea is to give the person who was ghosted some closure with a reason why the other person is no longer interested, while also reminding them this one match experience isn’t an indication of who they are or what they are worth.

For two people who matched on the app and neglect to message each other, the app will end the match. If one person doesn’t respond to a match’s message, the app will nudge them to send a message. If they still don’t reply to a conversation, the app unmatches them and the user who didn’t respond can’t use the platform until they provide a reason for letting the match expire.

Image: Tinder

Dating app Tinder is launching the in-app “Take Action Center” along with partner Vote.org to encourage people to register to vote and make a voting plan ahead of the November elections in the U.S.

According to Tinder’s press release, the Take Action Center is powered by Vote.org to make it easy for people to get the information they need to prepare for election season, including where to register to vote or how to check voter registration status, how to request a mail-in ballot, and where to vote (whether in-person, early voting, or dropping a ballot in the mail). Vote.org offers a range of information to voters, including polling locations and voter registration status. Tinder users who participate can also receive “I Voted” digital stickers to post on their profiles.

To help drive turnout, Tinder and Vote.org will also provide a GOTV (get out the vote) food truck outside of the Taylor Swift Eras Tour in Indianapolis, November 2-3. The food truck will feed concertgoers as well as provide them information about their voter registration and voting options including their polling locations (even for those traveling from other states).

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.