Soul Swipe
In short: SoulSwipe is a location-based swipe dating app launched in 2015 for Black singles, with the tagline "Black dating, done right". It was co-founded by Gianni Coleman and run from Los Angeles area offices by SoulSwipe, Inc. Crunchbase and Tracxn list it as closed. It matters as an early niche app built around the racial bias that Black users report on mainstream platforms.
Key facts
| Type | Dating app |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, United States |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Status | Reported closed by Crunchbase and Tracxn; not independently confirmed |
| Website | swipeapp.com |
| Description | Location-based swipe dating app for Black singles, tagline 'Black dating, done right' [The Current] |
| Co-founder | Gianni Coleman, described as co-founder of Soul Swipe, a location-based dating app targeting black singles ['Where White People Meet' dating site billboard removed amid] |
| Founders (Crunchbase) | Gianni Coleman and Micah Berkley; location Culver City, California; website swipeapp.com [SoulSwipe - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding] |
| Launch year | 2015 [SoulSwipe, 2015] |
| Business status | Crunchbase lists SoulSwipe as permanently closed; Tracxn lists it as deadpooled and not active [SoulSwipe - Company Profile, Tracxn, 2026] |
| Pricing | Free app with no premium paid features at time of Ebony review [Online Dating with 'Soul'] |
| Seller on iOS | SoulSwipe, Inc. [SoulSwipe - Black Dating, Apptopia] |
| DII coverage | Named as a niche platform serving Black singles in DII's story on racial bias in dating apps [Dating Industry Insights, 23 September 2024] |
About Soul Swipe
SoulSwipe was a mobile dating app aimed at Black singles. Users matched and chatted with people nearby by swiping left or right, in the style of Tinder. It launched in 2015 with the tagline "Black dating, done right". Its founders have said it was open to anyone, although its typical users were Black men and women. Sign-up used a Facebook login, and the app was free, with no premium tier at the time Ebony reviewed it.
Gianni Coleman is named as co-founder in coverage by Fox 8 and USC Annenberg Media, and Ebony described him as general manager. Crunchbase lists Coleman and Micah Berkley as founders and gives Culver City, California as the location. Other sources describe the team as based in Los Angeles. The iOS listing named the seller as SoulSwipe, Inc. A spokesperson told Dating Advice in about 2017 that the app had 70,000 daily users, a figure that comes from the company and was not verified.
Crunchbase lists the company as permanently closed, and Tracxn marks it as no longer active. This profile has not confirmed the shutdown independently. A separate app also called Soul Swipe, published on Google Play by Dopefrand Industries Group, is a general dating app and appears unrelated. DII names SoulSwipe among niche platforms serving Black singles, in its coverage of research on racial bias in dating app matching.
Also mentioned in
Questions about Soul Swipe
What is SoulSwipe?
A swipe-based, location-based dating app launched in 2015 for Black singles, with the tagline 'Black dating, done right'.
Who founded SoulSwipe?
Gianni Coleman is named as co-founder in press coverage. Crunchbase also lists Micah Berkley as a founder.
Is SoulSwipe still operating?
Crunchbase lists it as permanently closed and Tracxn lists it as not active. This has not been confirmed independently.
Is it the same as the Soul Swipe app on Google Play by Dopefrand Industries Group?
It appears not. That app is a general dating app from a different developer, and no source links the two.
What is Soul Swipe?
SoulSwipe is a location-based swipe dating app launched in 2015 for Black singles, with the tagline "Black dating, done right". It was co-founded by Gianni Coleman and run from Los Angeles area offices by SoulSwipe, Inc. Crunchbase and Tracxn list it as closed.
Where is Soul Swipe based?
Soul Swipe is based in Los Angeles, United States.
When was Soul Swipe founded?
Soul Swipe was founded in 2015.
Also known as: SoulSwipe - Black Dating, SoulSwipe, Inc..
Sources
- The Current: SoulSwipe Co-Founder Gianni Coleman
- 'Where White People Meet' dating site billboard removed amid complaints
- SoulSwipe - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding
- SoulSwipe: A Dating App Designed to Help People of Color Meet
- SoulSwipe - Company Profile, Tracxn
- Online Dating with 'Soul'
- SoulSwipe - Black Dating, Apptopia
- Dating Apps' Racial Bias: The Algorithmic Discrimination Reckoning