⚡ Get All Content for 20% Off ⚡

New Dating App Startup Aims to Be the 'Thinking Person's Tinder' A seven-man UK startup is looking to change the face of online dating with Loveflutter, which prizes personality as well as looks.

By Geoff Weiss

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Do dating apps like Tinder and Grindr -- in which users hastily appraise one another's photos with the flick of a finger -- merely appeal to humanity's basest desires as looks-obsessed Neanderthals?

Probably so.

Is it possible that a new app entitled Loveflutter might upend this experience -- and curb a fundamental urge -- with a cutting-edge interface that prizes personality as well as looks?

That's the hope of Londoners David Standen and Daigo Smith, who co-founded Loveflutter late last year. The self-billed "Thinking person's alternative to Tinder" began as a desktop dating site and launched in Apple's app store earlier this month.

Related: Wingman Businesses Cash in on Men's Dating Dilemmas

New Dating App Startup Aims to Be the 'Thinking Person's Tinder'
An app screenshot.
Image credit: Loveflutter

The thirtysomething friends-turned-business partners came up with the name Loveflutter while knocking back beers at a pub one day in search of a word that might capture the tremulous thrill of a crush.

Scrolling through the app, the first thing a user sees are not pictures of potential suitors but quirky factoids. (Taking a page from Twitter, each snippet must cap off at 140 characters.) Some of their favorites, Standen and Smith say, have included "I have three kidneys" and "Secretly, I want to be a hand model."

A blurry profile photo beneath each fact only comes into focus once tapped. "Looks are important, too," Standen adds. "We think we struck just the right balance." Users then swipe up to "Pass' and down to "Like.' As with Tinder, members can only communicate with one another when the feelings are mutual.

New Dating App Startup Aims to Be the 'Thinking Person's Tinder'
The grassroots campaign.
Image credit: Loveflutter

Rather than terminating its services at this matchmaking juncture, however, Loveflutter seeks to be handy throughout the entire courtship process. Its Suggest-A-Date feature proposes meeting venues by culling location-based data from Foursquare.

Related: 6 Dating Tips for the Single Entrepreneur

Furthermore, Standen and Smith say, as these algorithms are perfected, their hope is that Loveflutter will ultimately serve as the primary platform upon which couples continue to communicate and plan dates.

As the app is free and the company relatively nascent, Standen and Smith concede that they are focusing on growing a user base rather than profits.

Their seven-person company is also seeking funds that might improve the sophistication of the app's matchmaking tools and help it expand onto additional platforms like Android and into burgeoning markets like Brazil.

Meanwhile, the duo is making waves with a grassroots marketing campaign care of creative agency Havas Worldwide. The ads feature portraits of young men and women with paper bags over their heads that have been painted with eye-catching graphics that read, for instance, "I died once for three minutes" and "I recite poetry in my sleep." Images tout a #QuirkyMe hashtag and feature the headline "Bye Bye Boring Dating."

Related: In Sochi, People Are Using Matchmaking App Tinder Like Crazy

Geoff Weiss

Former Staff Writer

Geoff Weiss is a former staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Remote Side Hustle a 43-Year-Old Musician Works on for 1 Hour a Day Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month: 'All From the Comfort of Home'

Sam Ziegler wanted to supplement his income as a professional drummer — then his tech skills and desire to help people came together.

Business News

Costco CFO Reveals Uncertain Fate of $1.50 Hot Dog and Soda Combo

CFO Richard Galanti reveals that the price will stay the same — but only "for a while."

Business News

The Most Unexpectedly Popular Side Hustle of the Decade Has Low Startup Costs and High Markups

A new report shows that vending machines are a popular investment — and the industry is set to grow up to $3 billion by 2031.

Marketing

Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals The Secret to Dominating Search Results

It's often the smart use of SEO, now supercharged with AI, particularly in keyword optimization.

Business News

AI Is Impacting Jobs. Here Are the Gigs Affected the Most, According to an Analysis of 5 Million Upwork Postings

The researcher said in the report that freelance jobs were analyzed first because that market will likely see AI's immediate impact.

Leadership

Former Interrogator Shares 5 Behaviors Liars Exhibit and How to Handle Them

Five deceptive behaviors to look for and how to respond to those behaviors when you encounter them.