Dating startup We First Met wants to bring singles together by encouraging them to host group events and post date ideas.
The events can be created free on the site and arranged by either interest or age group.
Users can also indicate whether they are looking to date, not looking, undecided or just looking for friends.
The site’s founder, Enoch Lee, said: “Most dating websites only focus on profiles.
“You search through profiles and send messages. It feels unnatural; as if you are sorting through resumes.
“We First Met gets singles talking without having to guess what to talk about. Users can meet other singles individually by posting date ideas, or in a group setting by organizing and joining events.”
The site has a two-way search function, allowing We First Met users to look for people simultaneously looking for them – based on how long they viewed your profile, any interaction with it and their search preferences.
Lee said: “We built We First Met to improve every aspect of online dating and to help singles enjoy a higher rate of success.
“A lot of other dating sites show you information that doesn’t necessarily translate into getting more dates. For example, just because someone views your profile, it doesn’t mean they are actually interested.
“We First Met will not only show you who viewed your profile, but also how interested they were with your profile.”
The site uses a pay-as-you-go points-based monetisation system – customers using points to RSVP to events and to send initial messages – rather than a monthly subscription fee.
We First Met is following a trend that many of the biggest players in online dating have further expanded into this year – Match launching couples date planning service Delightful, and eHarmony launching their mobile DateBook feature – but puts an interesting spin on it, letting users take control of group events, more in-tune with non-dating sites like MeetUp or interest-based forums.
Visit the site here.