Dua
In short: Dua (dua.com) is a dating app for Albanians in Albania, Kosovo and the diaspora. It is owned by dua AG, a private company based in Zurich, Switzerland, led by co-founder and CEO Valon Asani. Its app listings claim over 1.1 million members. It matters to the industry as a niche, ethnicity-based app that has grown by acquisition, buying Spotted in 2022 and IRLY in 2026.
Key facts
| Type | Dating app |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Status | Active |
| Website | dua.com |
| Operator | dua AG is the developer and seller of the dua.com app on Apple App Store and Google Play [dua.com - Albanian Dating app - App Store, 2026] |
| Headquarters | Zurich, Switzerland (developer address Leutschenbachstrasse 95, 8050 Zürich) [dua.com - Albanian Dating App - Google Play, 2026] |
| Leadership | Valon Asani is co-founder and CEO of dua AG [Statement of Ownership, dua.com] |
| Audience | Dating app exclusively for Albanians worldwide, including Kosovo, Albania and the diaspora [dua.com, 2026] |
| Claimed members | Store listings claim over 1.1 million Albanians on the app [dua.com, 2026] |
| Google Play availability | Available on Google Play since June 2020; 1,000,000+ downloads listed [AppBrain, October 2026] |
| Founded | Company founded 2019 (Crunchbase); private, Zurich, 11 to 50 staff; co-founders Larklind Cerkezi and Valon A. [dua.com - Crunchbase] |
| Funding | Completed Seed and Series A rounds raising a total of $4.9 million [Swiss dua.com buys German dating app, Startupticker, 25 October 2022] |
| Acquisition: Spotted | Acquired German dating app Spotted.de [Swiss dua.com buys German dating app, Startupticker, 25 October 2022] |
| Acquisition: IRLY | Acquired IRLY brand, trademark and IP in an all-cash asset deal; financial terms not disclosed [Vancouver-founded Gen Z dating app IRLY acquired by DUA AG, , 10 February 2026] |
About Dua
Dua is a dating app aimed at Albanians worldwide, including people in Albania, Kosovo and the diaspora. Its store listings describe it as exclusively for Albanians and say verification is required at sign-up. The app is free to download, with paid Premium subscriptions and in-app purchases such as InstaChats and profile boosts. The Google Play listing shows it has been available since June 2020, and the Apple and Google listings are in the name of dua AG. The listings claim over 1.1 million members. That figure is a registered user claim from the company, and the company has not published revenue or active user numbers that we found.
dua AG is a private company headquartered in Zurich. Its own ownership statement names Valon Asani as co-founder and CEO. Crunchbase lists Larklind Cerkezi as a co-founder and gives the company's founding year as 2019. Startupticker reported in October 2022 that the company had completed Seed and Series A rounds, raising a total of $4.9 million.
The company has grown by buying other brands. In 2022 it acquired the German hyper-local dating app Spotted.de. In February 2026 it acquired the Vancouver-founded Gen Z app IRLY, including its trademark and IP, in an all-cash asset deal with undisclosed terms. For the dating industry, Dua is an example of a niche, diaspora-focused operator that is building a small portfolio of brands.
Stories about Dua
- Dua's Six-Year Run: A Case Study in Niche Dating Success
Dua, an Albanian diaspora dating app launched in 2020, has 1.1 million registered users, but its revenue and active user numbers are undisclosed. - DUA AG Bought IRLY. The Acquisition Logic Raises More Questions Than It Answers.
DUA AG has acquired Vancouver dating app IRLY in an undisclosed all-cash deal, its second purchase after Spotted in 2022. IRLY gave no user or revenue data.
Questions about Dua
What is Dua?
Dua (dua.com) is a dating app for Albanians in Albania, Kosovo and the diaspora, run by dua AG of Zurich.
Who owns Dua?
The app is owned by dua AG, a private company headquartered in Switzerland. Valon Asani is co-founder and CEO.
How many users does Dua have?
Its app store listings claim over 1.1 million Albanians on the app. This is a company claim, and revenue and active user numbers have not been published.
What has dua AG acquired?
It bought the German app Spotted.de in 2022 and the Vancouver-founded app IRLY in February 2026. IRLY was an all-cash asset deal with undisclosed terms.
Where is Dua based?
Dua is based in Zurich, Switzerland.
When was Dua founded?
Dua was founded in 2019.
Also known as: dua AG, dua.com - Albanian Dating App.
Sources
- dua.com - Albanian Dating app - App Store
- dua.com - Albanian Dating App - Google Play
- Statement of Ownership, dua.com
- dua.com: Date & Meet Albanians - Google Play
- dua.com: Date & Meet Albanians - App Store
- AppBrain: dua.com - Albanian Dating App
- dua.com - Crunchbase
- Swiss dua.com buys German dating app, Startupticker
- Vancouver-founded Gen Z dating app IRLY acquired by DUA AG, Vantech Journal