Business
Infographic Timeline: 10 Years of Tinder
Infographic Timeline: Ten Years of Tinder
A decade of swiping and over half a billion downloads later, Tinder still leads the market share of online dating apps in the United States at 32%.
What started as a “hook-up” app 10 years ago for college students, is now a mainstream hit that is globally used in 190 countries and 45 languages.
The graphic above highlights key moments that have shaped the app’s success, using data from Match Group’s investor presentations and news reports.
From Hatch to Match: The Early Days of Tinder
The concept of the app emerged when the original founding partners, Sean Rad and Joe Munoz, won a hackathon in 2012. Their collaboration lead to the development of Tinder (originally named Matchbox).
Marketing the app to college students was a strategic decision that quickly gained the interest of millennials. This young demographic had been traditionally underserved in the online dating world, and with the global adoption of smartphones, a mobile-only dating app hit the right spot at the right time.
Monetization began in 2015 when premium features became exclusively available for paid users. Annual revenue that year was $47 million and by 2021 that grew to $1.7 billion.
Match Group acquired Tinder in 2017, with a $3 billion valuation. But at the time, very few could predict the stellar run Tinder would have, having risen to become the top dating app in the world and one of the most popular apps overall.
This surge in popularity is also reflected in the financials — Tinder is just one of the 30 dating apps that Match Group owns, but it represents over 50% of their overall revenues. In addition, Tinder is closing in on generating $2 billion per year.
Today, Match Group is worth roughly $17 billion, and by some estimates Tinder is worth around $9 billion, over triple the price of the original acquisition.
Note: Tinder’s value is based on the valuation multiples for online dating companies as well as Tinder’s revenues as a portion of Match Group’s total.
Tinder and Technology
The swipe feature was an integral part of Tinder’s design, and it revolutionized the dating world. Gamifying dating was a novel concept when the feature was introduced back in 2012.
From the 1998 film “You’ve Got Mail” to today’s dopamine-inducing hit of “It’s a Match!,” it’s easy to see the influence technology has on the way we date and mate.
Below is a snapshot of app features that have been driven by technology and culture:
Year | Technological Feature | Key Business Focus |
---|---|---|
2012 | The “Swipe” | Gamification is the hook |
2014 | Tinder Plus | App monetization driven by user experience |
2015 | Instagram Integration & Facebook “Common Connections” | Network effects |
2017 | Tinder Gold | Power to the user - “Insight to who has liked me” |
2019 | Traveler Alert | Putting user safety first |
2020 | Panic Button / “Are You Sure?” | Putting user safety first |
2021 | Plus One | The pursuit of connections post-covid |
2023? | Virtual Exploration - It’s a “Swipe Party” | Understanding the changing demographic |
The Tinder Algorithm
Rating people’s attractiveness can be a controversial subject. Websites like Hot or Not and Mark Zuckerberg’s Facemash are cringe-worthy reminders of the internet’s past.
During the app’s early development, the discovery of a new match relied partially on the “Elo” rating system to score desirability. Attractiveness was evaluated by how often people swiped. The more selective you were with swiping, the higher your attractiveness was rated within the algorithm.
But now according to Tinder’s pressroom:
“Elo is old news at Tinder.”
Instead, Tinder’s algorithmic criteria for profile discovery depends on the users:
- Recent activity – members who are sending likes and nopes
- Profile elements such as the user’s interests
- Location
Tinder now says that proximity is a key factor in how people match on the app.
The Future of Tinder: A Changing Demographic
Today, as the company attempts to target Gen Z, the company’s revenue growth expectations are more lukewarm thanks to shifting cultural preferences,
And keeping the app relevant to a young demographic requires thoughtful consideration that goes beyond just adding new technological features. According to research organization YouthSight, more than 90% of Gen Z’ers report having frustrations with dating apps.
Only time will tell if technological incentives such as features for the metaverse, or virtual coins that further gamify the dating app, are attractive enough for Tinder to compete against the allures of meeting people IRL.
Markets
The Fastest Rising U.S. Housing Markets in 2024
As U.S. home prices hit record highs, which housing market is seen the fastest growth? This graphic shows the top 10 across the country.
The Fastest Rising U.S. Housing Markets in 2024
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
The U.S. housing market has been on a tear, with median sales prices rising more than 40% since February 2020.
While cities in southern states like Florida have witnessed some of the strongest price growth, more affordable cities across the Midwest are also seeing growing demand as buyers seek out cheaper options.
This graphic shows the U.S. metros with the fastest price growth, based on data from Redfin.
Hottest Housing Markets in America
Below, we rank the metropolitan areas with the fastest annual median sales price growth as of February 2024:
Rank | Metro | Median Sales Price Growth Feb 2024 YoY |
---|---|---|
1 | Pittsburgh, PA | +22.0% |
2 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | +18.0% |
3 | Greensboro, NC | +17.8% |
4 | Meridian, ID | +17.3% |
5 | Toledo, OH | +17.0% |
6 | Boca Raton, FL | +16.4% |
7 | West Palm Beach, FL | +16.1% |
8 | Orlando, FL | +15.9% |
9 | Milwaukee, WI | +15.6% |
10 | Alexandria, VA | +15.4% |
U.S. average | +6.5% |
Pittsburgh, PA soars to the top of the list, with median sale prices jumping 22% over the year.
Once known as a center for steel and iron manufacturing, the city has emerged as a hub for high-tech industries including robotics, software engineering, and healthcare. At a time when housing affordability is near record lows, buyers have flocked to the market thanks to its lower home prices. In February, median sales prices in Pittsburgh were $250,000 compared to the U.S. median price of $412,219.
Following next in line is Fort Lauderdale, FL with prices jumping 18% annually. Like several cities across the state, property values have boomed thanks to the state’s warm climate and low taxes. The state also ranks as one of the best in the country to retire. In 2023, it was one of the fastest growing states in the country, adding 365,205 residents overall.
As we can see, just one housing market in the West, Meridian, ID, is experiencing some of the strongest price growth in the country. Since the pandemic, many Californians priced out of expensive real estate markets have moved to the state due to its strong job market, low crime rate, and affordability. In fact, Los Angeles and San Francisco are some of the top metropolitan areas nationally that people are moving away from due to remote-work trends and the high cost of living.
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