In the middle of a ‘loneliness epidemic’, why launch a dating app that deliberately limits the number of new connections?
Kara Zervides, co-founder of the Pitch finalist Humpday, thinks she has the answer.
Humpday, which launched in February this year, is a newcomer to a market already saturated with options.
The problem, according to Zervides, is that too many fleeting connections are leaving Australian singles feeling burnt out — and more alone than when they first started swiping.
This counterintuitive idea led to Humpday, an app that only allows singles to chat with potential matches on Wednesdays.
And unlike the incumbents like Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble, Humpday users are only granted one new match a day.
“There’s always a little bit of an eye roll at the start when we say we’re a dating app,” Zervides tells SmartCompany.
“But we are so much more.”
Despite arriving in a crowded sector, Humpday has already enticed Antler, which invested $225,000 in pre-seed funding in October last year.
Zervides says Humpday’s one-a-day, use-it-or-lose-it messaging system is designed to make dates happen — on a Wednesday, of course.
“Our model is a scarcity-based model,” she says.
“We’re live only on Wednesday. So although you receive your matches during the week, you can’t actually chat ’til Wednesday.
“And the reason for that is we create a sense of urgency that helps drive offline connection quicker.”
The model is already gaining traction.
Humpday counts 4,000 users across Sydney and Melbourne and is growing by 55% month-on-month, Zervides says.
“Our users are finding our approach really refreshing,” she says.
“Our matching efficiency and dating conversion rate is 10 times that of our incumbents.
“So about 20% of our dating app users are actually going out in the real world on a date.
“I think those sort of those results speak for themselves.”
The app is free to use, with freemium features arriving for users in the coming months.
Currently, Humpday is building revenue through its live event series for singles.
Humpday also allows users to book dates at pre-vetted venues within the app, and the startup gains a commission fee for every dinner, drinks night, or axe-throwing adventure it facilitates.
As of July, Humpday counted more than 90 dates referred through its platform.
But throwing singles events, and partnering with platforms like Urban Swan and hospitality giants like Australian Venue Co, is only the start.
Events have been a “powerful marketing tactic that’s actually making us money,” Zervides says.
“But we don’t have a long term vision of being an events company.
“We’re a tech company that wants to reach venture scale.”
The plan is to build scale in Sydney and Melbourne, before releasing the model in the United States, starting with cities like New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
“We’re really excited to see what we can do to accelerate that user growth post our next raise,” Zervides says.
The Pitch finale took place in Cremorne, Melbourne last night which proved to be yet another pivotal Wednesday for the ambitious dating app newcomers as Humpday won the People’s Choice Award, which was voted on by attendees.
The event saw housing design startup Oltre win the title of the Pitch winner.
Are you ready to pitch to a panel of leading VCs and startup founders? Applications to the Pitch are now open for Sydney!
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Senior Business Journalist
Focused on the small business sector, David’s work covers the political, regulatory, and economic issues facing Australian entrepreneurs. Prior to joining SmartCompany, he was a reporter for Business Insider Australia. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
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