Taimi and Hily Set IPO Readiness as Their Next Growth Target
Taimi and Hily – two dating apps both created and operated by Appflame – are collectively pursuing growth without the backing of traditional venture capital, with the company now focused on reaching the scale and operational maturity required to become IPO-ready.
Founded in 2017 by a team of Kyiv-based entrepreneurs, the company operates two distinct dating platforms. Hily targets the broader dating market, while Taimi focuses on LGBTQ+ users across sexual orientations, gender identities and relationship preferences.
The company initially tried to position Taimi as a broader LGBTQ+ social network, combining dating with communication, support and knowledge sharing. That strategy proved difficult to execute, according to co-founder Jake Vygnan, and the business returned its focus to dating. The shift also reflected the constraints of remaining self-funded, making revenue generation and disciplined product investment central to its strategy.
Taimi faces additional complexity in building a matching system for a diverse user base. Vygnan said the platform has to account for multiple combinations of identities and preferences, while also maintaining safety and privacy. Automated moderation and fraud detection are used to identify harassment and explicit content, with features such as screenshot protection and app-icon customization aimed at giving users greater control.
The company is also using its internal talent base to develop new businesses through appflame, an initiative that backs employees who want to build products of their own. The portfolio currently includes three apps and a content business, providing a potential diversification route beyond dating.
Despite wider discussion about younger consumers moving away from dating apps, Vygnan said the company has not seen evidence of a major shift in its own user numbers. He argues that apps continue to provide access to larger pools of potential partners while reducing some of the immediate pressure associated with rejection in face-to-face encounters.
Taimi and Hily are both profitable, and Taimi now has around 100 employees. Its next major target is two million daily active users, compared with almost 350,000 currently. Reaching that figure would support the company’s broader goal of becoming IPO-ready, although Vygnan stressed that readiness does not necessarily mean an immediate public listing.
