Mobile dating is undeniably big business.
But, between mobile-first offerings that exploit location targeting and existing services making the move from desktop, its also an increasingly saturated market – so any new players have to find a strong USP if they want to attract those all-important users.
Enter Rendeevoo, launching next month, which thinks it has found a new take on the formula.
“Currently, online dating is addictive, but not as effective as it should be,” says co-founder Jorn Vanysacker. “Users are encouraged to keep on browsing through people, and chatting with them online, but theres no real incentive to meet in real life.”
Rendeevoo offers a stripped-back experience, presenting a handful of photos of each user pulled from their Facebook account, along with a short message. Based on that, the user is given two options: Flirt or Forget.
So far, so Tinder. But where it starts to get interesting – and unique – is what happens next. Once the user has found someone they like the look of, the app asks them to choose a meeting place from a curated list of venues. The invite is sent, and thats it.
The app doesnt offer the ability to chat or trade messages, which Vanysacker argues is Rendeevoos strength: “Its all based on spontaneous behaviour,” he says. “We want to encourage users to not waste time, to just go out for that drink and meet in real life.”
That drink is key to Rendeevoos business model. The app is free to download, there are no subscription fees involved and the service isnt ad-supported. Instead, Rendeevoo is monetised through its partnerships with venues.
Once both users agree to a date, theyre asked to pre-order their first drink and pay for it through the app, which uses the Stripe API.
For users, Rendeevoo believe this purchase acts as a guarantee; with both parties having committed to the price of a drink, theyre less likely to get stood up. For the venues, its an alternative way of driving foot traffic. And for Rendevoo itself, theres a 50 per cent commission on the price of that first drink.
Its a clever way of getting around users unwillingness to directly pay for apps, by building the cost into something theyre going to buy anyway. Its down to venues to accept the extra cost but past the first drink its business as usual and, because Rendeevoo handpicks its partners based on test visits, inclusion in the app potentially offers some level of prestige.
The pitch to venues is easy, says co-founder George Christoforakis: “Our target audience is their target audience.”
The selection and partnering process means that it will roll out on a city-by-city basis, with an initial launch in London on 22 March. Beyond that, Christoforakis tells us, “we have already planned an expansion strategy in Europe” which will bring Rendeevoo to four more cities – Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris – before the end of the year.
“And once weve done that, and gained that legitimacy, our long-term plan is global. Were targeting metropolises like New York and Rio de Janeiro – thats our plan for next year.”