David Park spent two years as a member of Raya’s early engineering team and helped the small outfit create one of the industry’s most exclusive platforms.
Dubbed by many as the ‘Tinder For Celebrities’, Raya is incredibly secretive about who is in the community and users can receive bans just for trying to take screenshots. There is also a lot of mystery about how the app actually operates and it wasn’t until June 2018, three years after its initial launch, that Daniel Gendelman revealed himself to be the founder.
Before talking us through his latest venture, David was kind enough to offer a few small insights into the history of the phenomenon.
Three years ago he left Raya with ambitions and ideas to create his own dating product. The resulting product was Kippo, aimed at singles who enjoy video games, to help them find a compatible partner.
The app has been steadily growing and was buoyed by a $2 million funding round approximately 12 months ago. Kippo is not just a space for the hardcore gamers, many of whom receive a stigma especially when it comes to dating, but for anyone who enjoys the escapism that the technology offers.
David came on The GDI Podcast to explain why he wanted to create his own online dating platform, how perceptions around gamers have changed in 2021 and what plans Kippo has for the future.
The GDI Podcast is sponsored by RealMe. Safety Through Trust. Find out more at TheRealMe.com/dating.
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