PURE hits $100M while Tinder shrinks 14% | ShinyHunters breach Bumble & Match | Hinge mandates face scans
PURE hits $100M revenue while Match Group, Bumble contract
Berlin-based dating app PURE announced $100M in annual gross revenue with 95% year-over-year registration growth and 46% revenue growth. The announcement contrasts sharply with industry leaders: Tinder down 14%, Bumble down 11%, Hinge down 12% during Q1-Q3 2025. PURE credits its feed-based design and 60/40 male-to-female ratio. You don’t need a billion-dollar ad budget if people actually like using your product.
ShinyHunters breach Bumble, Match Group, and CrunchBase in coordinated cyberattack
Cybercrime group ShinyHunters compromised internal systems at Bumble, Match Group, and CrunchBase through phishing and vishing attacks. Bumble says hackers got in via a contractor account but didn’t reach user databases. Match confirmed “a limited amount of user data” was exposed. ShinyHunters leaked thousands of internal Bumble documents from Google Drive and Slack. The most successful match on Bumble this quarter was a hacker and a contractor password.
Hinge makes Face Check mandatory — UK and Australia lead biometric age verification wave
Hinge now requires all users worldwide to complete a biometric Face Check scan using FaceTec liveness technology. In the UK and Australia, additional facial age estimation is mandatory under the Online Safety Act and Social Media Minimum Age Act. The system captures a video selfie, generates a FaceMap for age estimation and duplicate detection. Match Group already rolled this out on Tinder in the US. Face scanning is the new terms of service.
Ditto raises $9.2M for iMessage college matchmaking — no app, no swiping
Berkeley startup Ditto secured $9.2M in seed funding from Peak XV Partners and Gradient to scale its iMessage-based dating service for college students. Users text their preferences, receive one curated date per week with location and time planned. 42,000 users across four UC campuses, 25% growth from referrals, 20% match-to-date conversion. They’re launching 10 yacht blind-date parties starting Valentine’s Day in LA. Progress.
Left Field lands $200K on Shark Tank — Alexis Ohanian and Kendra Scott invest in no-swipe dating
Dating app Left Field pitched on Shark Tank Season 17 and closed a deal with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and Kendra Scott: $200,000 for 8% equity plus 4% advisory shares. The app uses location-based push notifications to match people who cross paths in real life. No swiping, no endless scrolling. Google searches jumped 75% after the episode aired. Shark Tank remains the world’s most expensive user acquisition channel.
Tinder tests AI feature to reduce swipe fatigue and dating app burnout
Tinder is testing an AI-powered feature that learns user preferences over time and surfaces more compatible profiles, reducing the need for endless swiping. The move responds to growing “swipe fatigue” that’s driving users away from traditional dating apps. Tinder’s parent Match Group has been investing heavily in AI across its portfolio. When the thing your app is famous for becomes the problem, you automate it away.
Gen Z dating app burnout drives surge in professional matchmaker interest
Growing frustration with dating apps is pushing Gen Z users toward professional matchmaking services. The shift reflects a broader trend: users want curated quality over algorithmic quantity. Matchmaker platforms are reporting increased sign-ups as younger daters who grew up swiping decide they’d rather pay someone to do the filtering. The generation that automated everything now wants a human in the loop.
Three Day Rule’s AI matchmaking faces “scripted” criticism from users
Matchmaking service Three Day Rule integrated AI into its process and received pushback from users who called interactions “scripted” and impersonal. The backlash highlights the tension between scaling matchmaking with automation and maintaining the human touch that premium services promise. AI can process preferences at scale, but users paying for matchmakers expect more than a sophisticated sorting algorithm. Expensive automation.
AI-powered romance scams surge ahead of Valentine’s Day
Ahead of February 14, experts warn that AI-generated romance scams are becoming harder to detect. Scammers use AI to create realistic profile photos, maintain consistent conversations, and even generate voice messages. The FTC reported $1.3 billion lost to romance scams in 2024, and AI tools are accelerating the threat. Your platform’s biggest competitor for user trust is now a chatbot pretending to be a lonely firefighter.
BLK releases Valentine’s Day guide against dating app fatigue
BLK, the dating app for Black singles, published a Valentine’s Day guide specifically addressing dating app burnout. The guide includes strategies for managing expectations, taking intentional breaks, and reframing the dating experience. Smart move: instead of pretending fatigue isn’t real, help users navigate it while staying on your platform.
Bumble may be returning to its women-first approach
After weakening its signature “women message first” feature following legal threats and user backlash, Bumble appears to be reconsidering. Reports suggest the company is exploring ways to re-emphasize female empowerment in its product while addressing the legal concerns that forced the initial change. The feature that defined — and then almost sank — Bumble might get a third act.
Every dating app has AI now — but can it actually help make better matches?
Fast Company examines how AI integration has become table stakes across dating platforms. From Hinge’s conversation starters to Tinder’s preference learning to upstart voice-matching apps, every player is betting on AI to solve user dissatisfaction. The key question: is AI improving connection quality or just optimizing engagement metrics? So far, the answer depends on who’s measuring.
Study: Men feel stereotyped and insecure on dating apps
New research finds that men increasingly feel judged against narrow stereotypes on dating platforms. The study highlights insecurities around height, income, and “provider” expectations that shape male user behavior. Turns out “must be 6 feet, 6 figures, 6-pack” isn’t just a meme — it’s driving real churn. Platforms that ignore one gender’s pain lose both.
Tinder launches Sprite packaging promotion — brand partnerships evolve
Tinder partnered with Sprite on a co-branded packaging campaign, signaling the app’s push into non-digital marketing channels. The promotion appears on Sprite cans and bottles in select markets. Dating apps are borrowing from FMCG playbooks. When your digital ads hit diminishing returns, put your logo on a soda can. Full circle.
Grindr implements safety measures for Winter Olympics
As the Winter Olympics approach, Grindr announced specialized safety features for athletes and visitors including travel alerts, local safety guides, and community resources. The LGBTQ+ app has a history of Olympics-specific releases — recognizing that global sporting events bring both opportunities and risks for its user base. Safety first. Medals second.
Norton report: 48% open to dating AI, many already use AI for dating profiles
Norton’s annual survey found 48% of respondents are open to dating AI entities, while a growing number already use AI tools to write their dating profiles, generate conversation starters, and edit photos. The line between “AI-assisted dating” and “AI doing the dating” keeps getting blurrier. Users want help crafting their best selves — they just don’t want to admit it.