Hayley Birkin

Indian matchmaker WedKnott raised funding from blockchain entrepreneur Pratik Gauri to expand into Dubai and London.

TikTok launched a printable weekly planner for families on screen time, which the analysis says dating apps could copy to answer regulators.

TikTok is FIFA's first-ever 'Preferred Platform' for the 2026 World Cup, from 11 June to 19 July, which could raise ad costs for dating apps.

WedKnott, an Indian matchmaking platform, has secured undisclosed investment from Pratik Gauri to expand into Dubai and London.

TikTok will phase out anonymous Custom Identity ads in early 2026, forcing dating apps to advertise through verified public accounts or withdraw.

WhatsApp added role tags, text-based stickers and enhanced event reminders to group chats, which analysis says challenges dating apps after the match.

Opinion: Match Group's AI push is a response to a declining business, not a breakthrough, as apps profit from engagement and users want efficiency.

TikTok's new region-specific 2026 marketing calendars are a sales pitch for dating app ad spend, and operators should test them against their own data.

Known raised $9.7M from Forerunner, NFX, Pear VC and Coelius Capital to charge $30 per date, and claims an 80% match-to-meetup rate.

Match Group and Bumble's Asia push looks defensive, the analysis argues, as India's 200 million 2025 downloads bring lower ARPU than North America.

Matrimony.com shares jumped 14% as its board prepares to consider a third share buyback on 29 January, after earlier premiums of 27% to 71%.

Match Group's paying users fell 6% to 10.3 million while Replika's subscribers grew 35%, according to Sensor Tower.

GoodDate, a US nonprofit dating app, has launched with no ads or paywalls. Founder Drew Harding has not said how it will be funded.

TikTok launched its Nearby Feed in the UK, Ireland, Netherlands and Norway, showing local public posts and challenging dating apps' venue discovery role.

Bethenny Frankel launched The Core, a screened dating community charging members between $700 and $1,200, with success measured by matches made.

Meta says Facebook Dating is a top player in the US with no traditional marketing, but Connor Hayes gave no user, retention or revenue figures.

Grindr's board ended a $3.46 billion take-private bid on 24 November 2025 after Ray Zage and James Lu failed to show financing. Shares fell 10.6%.

Facebook Dating has 21 million daily active users, Meta disclosed on an earnings call, reached with almost no marketing and no disclosed revenue plan.

Info Edge Ventures bought the remaining 3.65% of Aisle Network for Rs. 5.50 crores ($650,000), giving it full ownership of the five-app dating group.

Yuzu, the London-based Asian dating app, has launched a 'phygital' campaign with Chubby Group, with a web series, £14 cocktail and events.