Feeld’s Profits Climb 26% After Surge in Vanilla Monogamous Users
Feeld, the dating app originally built for open relationships and kink communities, reported a strong financial year in 2024 – driven in part by an influx of more conventional users. According to Companies House filings, revenues rose by 26 percent to approximately £48.9 million, and pre-tax profits climbed to £9.3 million, up from £6 million in 2023. Founders Dimo Trifonov and Ana Kirova, who retain majority ownership, paid out £600,000 in dividends during the year.
Feeld’s appeal to “vanilla” users – those who do not self-identify with kink or non-monogamous subcultures – has accelerated in recent years. Described as “vanilla” in reference to the “default flavour” of ice cream, these are users who either have limited awareness of things like niche kinks and non-standard relationship arrangements or who simply don’t have an interest in them – and while Feeld allows these users to sign up as normal, the platform is explicity catered towards a previously-underserved audience of kinky, non-manogamous or open-minded daters.
Though growth outside the U.K. was a major contributing factor, Feeld’s leadership notes that the expansion into less niche demographics has presented both opportunity and tension.
In June 2025, The Guardian observed that the app was witnessing a surge in what was termed “vanilla tourists,” individuals attracted to Feeld’s provocative branding but perhaps less versed in its community norms. Kirova has acknowledged the challenge of integrating newcomers who may not grasp Feeld’s lexicon of sexualities, identities, or ethical non-monogamy theory: “How do we welcome people who’ve never heard of Feeld … who don’t understand … what ethical non-monogamy is?”
A key driver of Feeld’s traction is the relative decline in engagement on traditional dating apps, creating space for niche platforms to appeal to users seeking more expressive or open sexual identity options. But the tradeoff is a tension between scale and community integrity. Longtime users express unease over dilution of the platform’s foundational culture, citing instances where new members may lack familiarity with kink, consent practices, or community etiquette – or use pop culture understandings of BDSM and other kink niches, where harmful tropes are often used to simplify something that can be very complex and incredibly consent-focused in reality.
Feeld’s trajectory over the past few years underscores this balancing act. Its revenues nearly doubled between 2022 and 2023, and the company has pursued growth with moderation – Kirova has repeatedly emphasized: “We’re not trying to grow at all costs.” As Feeld scales and appeals to a broader dating audience, the question moving forward will be whether it can retain its original ethos and culture while accommodating more mainstream participants – or whether it may end up overwhelmed by vanilla users and reshaped by pressures from the market.
