My Friend Charlie Raises £95,000 for UK Expansion
Offline dating company My Friend Charlie has successfully closed its first round of equity crowdfunding, having raised 115% of its initial target.
My Friend Charlie was first launched in London in 2017 and provides singles between the ages of 25 and 50 with unique dating experiences. The organisers always ensure there is an equal gender balance at the events, which vary from wine-tasting and pub quizzes, to axe throwing and scavenger hunts.
Just under £95,000 was raised from over 140 investors, with the money being used to develop an iOS and Android app and work on expanding to other UK cities.
There are plans to launch in Bristol in July before moving to Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh over the next 12 months.
The service has established a database of more than 2000 members and has hosted over 50 events to date.
None of the users’ profiles are visible online so the first time they get to see their potential matches is when they meet in the real world. The My Friend Charlie team work hard to bring a diverse range of individuals to each gathering.
Founder Charlie Spokes explains: “My team and I have been working really hard to find a solution to dating app fatigue. Our solution is really simple. We get a great group of eligible singles together and put on some really fun events, so people can meet how they used to, through friends.
“This year we’re launching a unique, one-stop app for singles looking to find love offline.”
The company has also partnered with YellowWood Adventures to organise special adventures for groups of single people to less popular holiday destinations, such as Ethiopia, Kyrygzstan and Iran.
Visit the My Friend Charlie website here.
