Eager to swipe left or right, but can’t bother yourself enough to drag your finger across the phone’s touchscreen? Then don’t procreate. Otherwise, if you’re in the market for a dating app that’s a least a few levels of dignity (and pay) above Tinder users, look no further than The League — a new app out of San Francisco that just raised $2.1 million in funding.
Those accepted into The League get one “ticket” they can give to another single friend, and about 50% of The League’s users were referred by another member. All other singles have to wait in a virtual line and hope they’re top-notch enough to join The League’s elite pool of prospects. Lawyers, doctors, and tech executives frequent the app. Many of the beta users have never signed up for a dating service before. Or if they were on Tinder, they weren’t pleased with the experience.
“We want people to think of The League as a little more grown up and tasteful, for young professionals who want to go out for a coffee or a drink and aren’t just about hooking up,” [Amanda] Bradford says. To get only the most serious singles, Bradford feels it’s important to be highly selective rather than target hard-partying college students.
“The best universities curate students. Employers curate their employees. Work and school are the top places where 20-somethings meet each other. So it makes sense for a dating community” to curate as well, Bradford says. (Via Business Insider)
Sounds good in theory, and Bradford — the app’s founder and CEO — wants to expand The League into New York City and London. Because, you know, that’s where all the successful people go. Then again, that’s also where people go to use alternative dating apps like 3nder, so maybe the market’s slightly over-saturated.
(Via Business Insider)