Once CEO to Refocus on Pickable

As 2019 progresses, Once CEO Jean Meyer will look to diversify his dating offering by dedicating more energy to startup Pickable.

Having built a user base of around 600,000 MAU, the entrepreneur is now looking to maintain that community while taking a portfolio approach to further growth.

The transition also sees the launch of Once Again, a new dating app for the 50+ demographic focused on mainland Europe.

Meyer told GDI that only around 10% of his team now works on Once, with the rest spread across other projects. Pickable is seeing early success in Germany and Italy in particular, complementing the core brand’s position in the French market.

Pickable allows women to browse anonymously, reaching out to the men they find attractive. For plaudits, it represents a safe and efficient alternative to Tinder. The platform has around 100,000 MAU, having won coverage in European-language editions of Cosmopolitan and more.

The CEO explained that scamming was an issue to begin with, as women do not have to complete full profiles, but through a multifaceted and zero-tolerance approach his team has been able to reduce its prevalence.

Once Again will look to capitalise on a lack of mobile-first apps for senior Europen singles. The aging population in many geographies also presents an opportunity.

Meyer is targeting 500,000 MAU by December on both Once Again and Pickable. By extension, he hopes to have 1.5 million MAU across his three products soon.

Visit the Once website here.