What the business is
Invite-only dating app launched in Los Angeles that matches people on their favourite local places
The bet
Digital roses redeemable for local gift cards, plus matching on favourite places and real-life events, will make online dating more personal than revenue-maximising apps
Starting capital
$7M seed with Naval Ravikant, Mark Bailey, Simon Rothman, Larry Rudolph and others
How it started
Matthew Alfin founded Blush in October 2023, based on his interest in the intersection of local places and connecting people. He said other dating apps are designed to maximise revenue and do not reward users.
What happened
On 2024-02-06 Blush announced a $7M seed. After creating a profile, users share favourite cafes, restaurants and gyms, and algorithms match them on shared places. It holds private community events so a match can be met in person, and offers astrology compatibility charts. The app was only in Los Angeles, with early-access applications open for Miami, New York, Chicago and Austin, and an AI dating coach in development.
What has to be true
Alfin saw an opportunity to reward users while driving them to local businesses on dates
Matching on favourite local places aims to ground online dating in real-life interests
Private events let an online match turn into an in-person meeting
Gift-card rewards give users a reason to send roses rather than a pure fee
What can be applied
A dating app can differentiate on rewards and offline events rather than matching, but the four-times-more-matches figure is company-reported and the app was still in one city.
Aftermath
As of 2024-02-06, Blush was live only in Los Angeles with a $7M seed, early-access applications in four more cities and an AI dating coach in development.
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