Major Chinese Dating App Operator Milian Technology Files IPO

Beijing-based Milian Technology has officially applied for a listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, signalling a major push into China’s evolving online dating and “single economy” sector. The company operates two main flagship apps, Yidui and Tietie, and reported an average of 9.9 million monthly active users and 2.1 million daily users for the six months ended June 30 2025. Correspondingly, it claims around 1.2 million monthly paying users.

Milian says its revenue grew from RMB 1.05 billion in 2022 to RMB 2.37 billion in 2024, indicating rapid expansion. The company emphasises its distinctive “human matchmaker + live-streaming” model, combining elements of real-time video, dedicated hosts and AI-backed matching, targeting users in lower-tier cities who seek more structure than the typical swipe-based services.

The broader sector sets the backdrop for Milian’s move. China is estimated to have nearly 300 million singles and an online emotional-social networking market valued at tens of billions of yuan. Milian’s filing states that the domestic market was about RMB 22.6 billion in 2024, and is projected to reach more than RMB 75 billion by 2029. This IPO marks Milian Technology making a significant push into properly investing in the country’s growing dating app market.

While Milian obviously operates in China specifically and any associated trends may not reflect the world at large, it’s still notable that Milian has been the company making this push forward – and seeing so much success overall. Despite “fast food” style dating experiences often being the norm, certain audiences are clearly looking for a more emotionally-driven experience with far more precise matching involved, something that could form the backbone of China’s dating market going forward.