# Lumen

> Source: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/products/lumen | Publisher: Dating Industry Insights (High Intent Media Inc) | Last checked: 2026-10-20


**In short:** Lumen is a dating app for people over 50, launched in the United Kingdom in 2018 and co-founded by Antoine Argouges and Charly Lester. It is listed as London-based. It matters to the dating industry as an early app built for older singles, with a selfie check at sign-up and a cap on new conversations to limit spam.

## Key facts

- Type: Dating app
- Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
- Founded: 2018
- Founders: Antoine Argouges, Charly Lester
- Launch: Debuted in the UK in 2018 as a dating app for singles over 50 (2018) [source](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/lumen-a-dating-app-for-singles-over-50-200438466.html)
- Founder: Charly Lester is a co-founder of Lumen (2019-06-10) [source](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/lumen-a-dating-app-for-singles-over-50-200438466.html)
- Founder: Founded by Antoine Argouges and Charly Lester (2018) [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumen_(dating_app))
- Fact: Requires a selfie at sign-up; users can start three new conversations per day (2019-06-10) [source](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/lumen-a-dating-app-for-singles-over-50-200438466.html)
- Users: Reported more than 1.5 million users within less than a year of launch (2018) [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumen_(dating_app))
- Headquarters: Listed as headquartered in London, United Kingdom (2018) [source](https://app.dealroom.co/companies/lumen)
- Fact: Described by DII as an over-50s dating app launched in 2018 with photo verification (2026-03-19) [source](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/sequel-app-senior-dating-scam-prevention)

## About

Lumen is a dating app aimed at singles over 50. It debuted in the United Kingdom in 2018 and was co-founded by Antoine Argouges and Charly Lester. The business is listed as based in London. The app used a freemium model, with free sign-up and paid premium features such as seeing who had marked a member as a favourite. It offered search filters for height, children, smoking habits, political views and star sign. Users took a selfie at sign-up, which was checked against their profile photos. Co-founder Charly Lester said in 2019 that no other dating app did this and that the company put user safety ahead of user volume. Members could start three new conversations a day, a limit intended to curb spam-like messaging. Lumen was reported to have passed 1.5 million users within a year of launch. Dating Industry Insights (DII) cited Lumen in a March 2026 story on Sequel as an over-50s app launched in 2018 with photo verification. The app's current operating status is unconfirmed.



## Questions



**What is Lumen?** Lumen is a dating app for people over 50 that launched in the United Kingdom in 2018.

**Who founded Lumen?** Lumen was founded by Antoine Argouges and Charly Lester.

**How does Lumen check members?** Members take a selfie at sign-up, and new conversations are limited to three a day.

**Where is Lumen based?** Lumen is based in London, United Kingdom.

**When was Lumen founded?** Lumen was founded in 2018.


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