Tinder Focuses on APAC as CEO Continues Tour of Asia

Elie Seidman is continuing his public relations tour of Asia as Tinder looks to further its integration into APAC markets.

The CEO will be giving a keynote lecture for the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi. His talk will cover the state of the online dating industry in Asia, as well as his own experiences working in technology.

Last week, Seidman held a press conference in South Korea where he explained the desire to rebrand as a “social discovery app”.

He promoted the new market-specific ‘Find Friends on Tinder’ feature, which lets users form purely platonic relationships. According to the dating app’s research, most Koreans were using it to find friends anyway, due to the country’s stigma around online dating.

According to The Korea Herald, Seidman explained: “It is not to find a permanent relationship. It is to expand your network and relationship – ‘experience culture’ is a very important part of millennial culture.”

The new feature could be likened to Bumble’s BFF network. Tinder recently released ‘My Move’ in India, a toggle option for female users enabling them to choose whether or not they exclusively send first messages.

Kristen Hardeman was just appointed as Tinder’s new country manager for Australia, one of many regional executives added in the past 12 months.

Fast Company interviewed Seidman for a ‘Day in the Life of’ article, where he revealed he has worn the same watch for the past 15 years. The timepiece is believed to be worth $12,900.

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