Hong Kong App KissHugs Acquired By Listed Q&A Company Crowd Mobile

Newly-listed Australian tech company Crowd Mobile have acquired Hong Kong-based dating app Kiss Hugs.

Crowd Mobile operates a number of crowdsourced question and answer services, such as Bongo, 63336 and SMS Fun.

The acquisition was announced on the same day as their public listing – for which they raised $3.8m in a pre-IPO funding round.

The CEO of Crowd Mobile, Domenic Carosa, said the move was part of a planned expansion into Asia:

“Strategically, this is an important transaction for the company as we take our first steps into Asia. We are very excited by the growth opportunities that the Asian market presents for Crowd Mobile.

“The Kiss Hugs IP will be leveraged with Crowd Mobile’s crowd-sourced micro job cloud-based technology.”

Kiss Hugs is a Hong Kong-based dating app that was founded by Roger Blackstien and Max Vung.

Released in 2013, the app adds an extra element to the Tinder format, giving users the option to either “kiss” or “hug” – rather than simply yes or no – so relationships “don’t get judged by one swipe.”

The app’s founders said they want it to “build both your love life and your friendship circle.”

The location-based app claims that 60% of its user base are women.

In 2013, angel investor Bigcolors took a 12.5% stake in the company, worth around $25,000.

Visit the KissHugs website here.