Lunch Actually Founder Celebrates 160,000 Successful Dates

Violet Lim, co-founder and CEO of the matchmaker service and app Lunch Actually, has spent over two decades navigating the complexities of modern matchmaking. Since its inception in 2004, the agency has arranged more than 160,000 first dates and facilitated over 4,500 successful pairings across six Asian countries.

The agency’s clientele predominantly comprises professionals in their 30s and 40s, with a higher percentage of women. Lim observes that while women often prioritize compatibility in education and career, men tend to focus on physical attributes. These differing priorities can lead to mismatched expectations, underscoring the need for guided matchmaking.

In a recent interview about her success, Lim emphasized that successful matchmaking extends beyond algorithms and profiles. She notes that clients often have high expectations, sometimes overlooking the importance of personal growth in the dating process. To address this, Lunch Actually offers coaching services focusing on mindset and interpersonal skills, encouraging clients to reflect on their own dating behaviors and attitudes.

In September 2024, Lunch Actually merged with Paktor, a prominent online dating platform, forming the Lunch Actually Paktor Group. This strategic alliance aims to blend traditional matchmaking with digital innovation, expanding their reach and enhancing user experiences – and allowing for a broader pool of potential matches and the integration of online and offline dating services. Lim seems committed to creating genuinely meaningful connections between users, and given Lunch Actually’s success, it will hopefully continue to snowball into an even more successful service.