FROME, Lox Club and Other Dating Startups See Growth
A wave of Los Angeles-based dating startups is seeing rapid growth as they cater to shifting preferences among Gen Z users, who are turning away from traditional swipe-based dating apps like Tinder and Bumble. Many of these platforms are focusing heavily on the in-person connections that more and more users are seeking out, and have been targeting the younger dating demographic for this exact reason.
One such startup is First Round’s on Me, or FROME, which launched in August of this year. The app organizes group social events, such as pickleball gatherings, to help singles meet face-to-face. With around 175,000 users and a freemium business model, the app aims to offer a more intentional dating experience. The founder, Joeseph Feminella, believes that current dating apps are too focused on validation-driven interactions and that his platform provides a better alternative.
Lox Club focuses heavily on its Jewish user base for a community-focused dating experience, with alternate apps for East Asians (Jade Club) and South Asians (Amara Club). All three are built around combined AI and human matchmakers, using a mystery matchmaker system and very exclusive verification systems to create a lightly limited and carefully-crafted experience where each “like” carries a lot of weight.
Another recent startup that’s seen success is Summer, also known as Summer Dating. Founded back in 2022 by 9count, the app limits all conversations to exactly 25 messages, forcing users to set up dates quickly based on limited information or carefully-crafted responses. Alongside this, the platform plans to open a social club that’s only available to members, giving users a more casual space to interact with one another.
While all three platforms are still developing, they have gained traction in a number of communities – especially within Los Angeles – as conventional dating apps enter a rocky period of user dissatisfaction. The simple fact that many users want a more personal dating experience will drive them towards platforms like these startups, but only time will tell if they remain successful in the long run.
