Love is in the air but so is technology. And for online dating app, Once, it seems supremely easy to combine the two. The startup reaffirming this, recently raised $5.5 million in its Series A round of funding. The total funding for this dating app now amounts to a whopping $8.9 million. The tide of financing that is enabling the dating app to increasingly find its way into the public eye and the Play Store, is a gratuitous shelling out by VC firms. The app’s fund reserves were flooded with a second wave of finances by Partech Ventures.
Once has mainly remained the center of attention amongst private investors and VCs like Partech. Using its store of funds in ways that are ambitious yet sensible, Once intends to expand and develop its bases in UK, Germany and France, and new global markets.
The unique feature that sets Once apart from the basic Tinders and Match dot coms – is the concept of “slow dating”, developed by its founders. The app which is available for both Android and iOS devices uses personalized, data-driven matches. It limits its users to only one match a day, so that online dating doesn’t feel like a mechanized, almost conveyor-belt process of prospective mate selection.
Commenting on the hefty fund raise, Jean Meyer, CEO and founder of Once, said,
This is a great achievement in the first year of launching our slow dating concept. We are delighted that Partech Ventures recognize the potential our app has to globally reform the online dating scene.
This heady optimism is echoed by Partech Ventures themselves, with Romain Lavault, General Manager, who commented,
Dating is a really exciting space for us as it attracts massive audiences from around the world. Once has a unique approach to serious dating, creating a more human experience and we look forward to supporting its growth.
Online dating is all set to undergo a reboot! Its second stab at life will come but Once.
