Reading-Based Dating App Bookmark Plans Global Expansion

Launched in February 2024, Bookmark is a book-lover dating app that nudges users to talk about deeper literary interests and de-emphasize quick impulsive swipes. After acquiring more than 15,000 installs across India alone within one year, the platform is looking to expand to other markets, and has seen some surprising levels of success that might make it possible.

Unlike conventional dating apps that focus on profile pictures, Bookmark prioritizes conversations – including features like requiring users to exchange at least 10 messages before photos are revealed. While this ties into its goals of being a dating app for people who love books, it also has the side effect of making it a safer space for women daters, with 25% of the platform’s paying users allegedly being women.

In the year that it has been operating, the app has garnered 15,000 installs across India, facilitated 50,000 matches, and built a strong community of 5,000 monthly active users. Encouraged by its success, Bookmark is now eyeing international expansion, as well as expansion into a wider range of interests to become a hobby-based dating platform – for example, matching users who are passionate about music or films.

The founders, Harsh Snehanshu and Shruti Sah, believe that markets with high book readership—the US, Europe, and Australia—are ideal for growth. “The majority of Goodreads users and book sales come from these regions,” Shruti explains. “We’re actively seeking investment to scale globally.”