Nine: Asian Dating Startup for Young Professionals

Nine is a relationship app startup for young professionals in Asia to connect and find love, with over 4,500 monthly users already. The platform brands itself as suitable for ‘casual but intentional’ dating, incorporating tech and human support for singles.

Nine, which is jointly based in Singapore and China, recommends 9 potential matches to users everyday. It provides ice breakers and online workshops to encourage singles to make the first move, with a 1:1 dating coach available.

In terms of technology, the platform uses Myers Briggs personality quiz and Attachment Theory to matchmake suitable individuals. 

The app explains that mainstream dating apps are saturated and casual, while matchmakers are “becoming irrelevant”. It distances itself from these other dating strategies, classifying itself as a “Agency in an App”.

All users play a flat membership fee, with additional features available for an additional cost. 

Miao Zhang, a Chicago-born entrepreneur, founded Nine after hearing about the negative experiences of friends and family members when they tried online dating in Shanghai. 

The app has already seen investment from 3 VCs and 14 Angel Investors, accumulating over 1,200 daily users. It is currently looking for $1 million to continue growing its marketing, product development, and operations.