This Biotech Company Wants To Bring DNA Matching To Mobile Dating

The majority of today’s matchmaking services rely on using shared interests, algorithms and proximity to help generate matches for singles searching for love online.

One company is taking a completely different approach is Instant Chemistry, who instead focus on the real chemistry between two people that only science can prove.

Instant Chemistry is a Canadian biotech company that develops tools for assessing the compatibility of two individuals.

Its services rely on both genetics and psychology to help better determine the biological compatibility of two people, as opposed to pairing couples based on interests or location.

Its products have been designed to compliment what is already being offered by dating companies, aiming to supply an aspect of biology that is missing from most matchmaking services.

We recently spoke to Dr. Ron Gonzalez, co-founder and CEO of Instant Chemistry, about the latest developments with the biotech company – which has included a few setbacks – and what exciting plans it has for the future.

Last year, in an effort to integrate its services with online dating platforms, the company formed its first partnership with a dating site, SingldOut, which caters exclusively to working professionals.

However after partnering back in July 2014, and raising $600,000 to build the business, a few months ago the companies decided to part ways.

When we asked Dr. Gonzalez why the two companies ended the partnership, he said: “It was a really interesting idea, and one that we were really pushing towards from the beginning, which was – we wanted to be the science of the company, the ones for developing technology and focusing on the science.

“SingldOut wanted to be the marketing, distributor and PR aspect of the company, so I thought it was a good fit for us.

“Initially, we were selling almost one hundred kits a month, when we first launched last summer, and it was going really well. I can’t say for sure, but I think the issue was that essentially they had a different vision for the company and wanted to go in a different direction. We couldn’t manage the two companies and we had very different objectives.

“I think the experiment of trying to combine a biotech company partner with a dating company didn’t really work, and they have to be rolled into one.”

But although this particular partnership was not successful, the Canadian company has committed to pushing forward with its science-based matchmaking technologies.

At the moment, the Instant Chemistry team are developing a new kit, designed to integrate with a mobile app, to allow customers to use the compatibility tests anywhere, at anytime.

Dr. Gonzalez revealed the aim for this project was to make the test as portable as possible.

When asked about the stage of development for the new kit, Dr. Gonzalez said: “On the biochemistry side, that is currently underway, and we hope to have our first prototype planned in the next few weeks or months. It depends on how long it takes to do all of the proper testing.

“On the mobile app side, it is still in the early development stage for us. I would hate to prematurely launch this, if we didn’t have the right funding in place. We are currently looking for partners who would help with the funding of our projects, so we can make it a really visually appealing format, that customers would like to use.”

When we asked about the relationship between biotechnology and the dating industry, Dr. Gonzalez said he believed the biotech methods employed by companies like Instant Chemistry will be increasingly used in dating in the years to come.

He said: “I think based on the attention that we’ve received, there is definitely a need and an interest in what we do. I think customers are going to go where they are getting the best value.

“Something I find really interesting, and what I haven’t seen too much, is dating sites that monitor couples after they are matched. They often just match them, and then they go off into the distance, and they only track them again if they break up.

“It’s very rare that you have the couples re-engage with the dating site, so I actually see our couples kit as something that is very complimentary to a dating site that is trying to enlarge the life cycle and value of the customer.

“Sites can now use this as a way to engage with customers after they have matched them and to help the relationship grow. I think it will be valuable for many reasons.”

Instant Chemistry currently offer a singles genetic test, which examines genes in the immune system and genes related to your neurobiology, alongside a validated psychological test, developed by couples expert Dr. Joel Block.

Check out Instant Chemistry’s official site here, and read Revealing the Science of Attraction by fellow Instant Chemistry co-founder Sara Seabrooke here.