Tinder buys Humin, looks to expand beyond dating

Steven Loeb · March 29, 2016 · Short URL: https://vator.tv/n/4459

Humin's team will be working on a new product, levering its tech to help better connect people

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Is Tinder about to expand itself beyond just being a dating app?

That's the question now that the company has announced the purchase of Humin, what it calls a "contextual relationship and contact management platform," for an undisclosed sum. 

Founded in 2013, Humin is the parent company is two apps: Humin Contacts, an app that allows its users to hold their contacts on a single platform, and Knock Knock, which lets users connect, chat and swap contact information with people around them.

In a note on its homepage, the Humin team said that both apps would continue to be available "for the time being."

Meanwhile, most of the Humin team is coming to Tinder, including company co-founders Ankur Jain and David Wyler. Jain will becomg Tinder's VP of Product, while Wyler will be Tinder's VP of Partnerships.

Here's the interesting part: rather than just using Humin's technology and IP, which Tinder acquired in the deal, to further better connections for users on Tinder, Jain and Wyler will actually be in charge of an unnamed "new product initiative," that would seemingly be separate Tinder's current offerings. 

The details of whatever that project is aren't being disclosed right now, but Humin makes it sound like it might have to do with connecting people outside of a potential romantic situation, as it specifically mentions the word "friends" for its future plans. 

"Our friends at Tinder share our underlying vision and have already revolutionized the world of dating. Now, as a part of Tinder, we believe that together we can make it easier than ever to meet amazing new people and connect with your friends - at a scale we could never reach alone," Humin wrote.

"It's clear that the team deeply believes in our vision and future plans," Sean Rad, Founder and CEO of Tinder, said in a statement. "We're excited to leverage their experience and IP to accelerate our product roadmap along with some other exciting projects we have in the works."

A spokesperson for Tinder had no comment on the company's plans for Humin's technology.

While Humin is listed as having raised an undisclosed amount of funding from just one investor, Sherpa Capital, Re/Code reports that it actually raised $15 million largely from high-profile individual investors, including Eric Schmidt, Richard Branson, Ari Emanuel, Troy Carter, Kevin Spacey, Will.i.am and Jeb Bush Jr.

This acquisition comes as Tinder is expanding its leadership team: last week the company hired Ferrell McDonald as its Chief Marketing Officer; Maria Zhang as VP of Engineering; Derek Callow as VP of International; and James Kim as VP of Finance.

This is only the second acquisition for Tinder; it previously purchased ephemeral messaging app Tappy in January of last year. 

(Image source: td-berlin.com)

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