Tantan Moves to Integrate Artificial Intelligence

Tantan’s Chief Executive Yu Wang has announced that the app will be focusing on the implementation of artificial intelligence this year.

Speaking at RISE Hong Kong on Wednesday, he said that the technology will be utilised in acquisition and advertising, and that it will help to boost growth more generally.

Wang praised the massive potential of algorithms: “(…) there is huge room for improvement to a point where as our users swipe more, they see pictures more suitable to their tastes.

“They can then quickly match and start an engaging conversation.”

Tantan now has over 90 million registered users, and 6 million daily active users (DAU). It is China’s biggest dedicated dating platform.

Video streaming and dating giant Momo closed its acquisition of the company in May this year, paying $600.9 million in cash for 5.3 million newly issued Class A ordinary shares.

Wang said at the time: “Momo and Tantan have their own strengths in their respective markets and among targeted customers.

“The acquisition is a critical strategic upgrade to cover a greater range of user demographics and needs, and build up a larger social networking market through complementary businesses and strategic synergy.”

The Chinese online dating market is valued around $600 million and has considerable room to grow – fewer than 800 million of China’s 1.4 billion population have internet access at present.

There were approximately 20 million monthly active users (MAU) on Chinese dating apps last year, the vast majority of whom fall in to the 25-35 age bracket. A YouGov poll found that over 40% of Chinese nationals had tried online dating at one stage in their lives.

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