Invisible Girlfriend Proves Love Isn’t Real
A site that started as a drunk purchase, went on to win a start up competition and sells you something invisible is due to be launched by Christmas.
Invisible Girlfriend gives you an imaginary relationship with real-life contact, to cease curious questions about your relationship status.
The service will send you texts, pictures, voicemails, calls and gifts to prove to doubters that the love is real.
As for who might pay for this service, creator Matt Homann explains:
“Our audience might come from a variety of situations: maybe they’re in a same-sex relationship they’re hiding from disapproving relatives, are trying to avoid the unwelcome advances from a coworker, or have chosen to focus on their work instead of romance.”
Homann bought the domain name a few years ago at 3am for $7, describing it to Buzzfeed as a “drunk domain”, not thinking he would use it.
He then pitched it as a joke at a Startup Weekend in St Louis this year, put together a team, a business plan and a website in 54 hours, and won first place.
Speaking to the Riverfront Times, Homann said: “It went from, ‘Let’s have some fun. Let’s make everyone laugh,’ to, ‘We have the making and talent to build something that works.’”
It is now in pre-launch stage and the website clarifies exactly what a subscriber would receive.
There are currently three packages on offer:
- Just Talking: $9.99/month offers interactive SMS texts, automated phone calls and an emergency interaction button.
- Getting Serious: $29.99/month gives you a Facebook relationship on your profile, leaves you real voicemails and send you random gifts and notes.
- Almost Engaged: $49.99/month adds to this a custom girlfriend characterisation, the option to create your own story and live phone calls.
The service isn’t expected to be launched until Christmas, but Homann says there are already plans for a Invisible Boyfriend version – which will also be LGBT friendly.
Homann is the founder of legal innovation consultancy LexThink and CEO of business consultancy company Kendeo.
Visit the Invisible Girlfriend website here.
