Internet dating giant Match Group acquires Egyptian dating startup Harmonica to expand into Muslim-majority markets

Match Group, the web giant that is dating a market limit of over $20 billion that owns various dating internet sites and apps including Tinder, OkCupid, PlentyOfFish, and Match.com has acquired Egyptian internet dating startup Harmonica, the Dallas-headquartered business announced today in a declaration to MENAbytes, without disclosing monetary information on the deal.

Launched in very early 2017 by Sameh Saleh, Tamer Saleh, Shaymaa Aly & Aly Khaled, Harmonica’s app that’s carefully created for Muslims helps users look for a life partner that is potential. The application, as being a declaration by Match Group records, approaches matchmaking that is mobile respect to local traditions and cultures.

It is possible to find out more information about the way the application works in this piece we’d written a year ago.

“Sameh founded Harmonica after witnessing their cousin along with other family members try to meet possible husbands through the arranged marriage process. He thought technology could facilitate significant relationships and empower singles to meet up their future life lovers, but there have been no items serving their community or handling more conservative social norms,” the business explained in a statement.

Match Group is acquiring the Egyptian startup to provide 33 nations in Asia and MENA which have a big population that is muslim. Harmonica’s tiny group of 12 full-time workers (like the founders) is joining the US business included in the purchase and certainly will evidently focus on an English app in addition to Harmonica presently posseses an app that is arabic-only. Harmonica, per declaration, will remain headquartered in Cairo, with Sameh Saleh continuing as CEO. It is Match Group’s office that is first the center East.

The US business with this specific purchase is going to be dealing with http://foreignbride.net/dutch-brides/ different (reasonably smaller) players which have been attempting to re solve the situation of online dating sites for Muslims, with YC-backed Muzmatch that recently raised $7 million Series A, being probably the most prominent one.

Sameh Saleh, co-founder and CEO of Harmonica, said, “Two years ago, we founded Harmonica with this siblings, cousins, and friends at heart, because of the objective of assisting them look for a perfect partner. It absolutely was critical that everything we built ended up being one thing to guard them and express the values which our community cares profoundly about. It had been also essential which our moms and dads will be more comfortable with them utilizing our app.”

“We’ve already facilitated a huge selection of marriages simply in Egypt and genuinely believe that with Match Group’s vast experience, you will find exciting possibilities ahead,” he included.

Mandy Ginsberg, CEO of Match Group, stated, “As we think of worldwide development and expansion, you can find huge populations of young singles — mostly across Asia as well as the Middle East — that’ll be hunting for their life lovers within the future that is near and therefore aren’t precisely offered by Western services and products”

“The Harmonica group isn’t only smart and revolutionary, but has generated an extremely differentiated and product that is technologically impressive, although early-stage, undoubtedly knows the requirements of this tradition. We think we’ve discovered talent that is great with regional expertise and insights that can help us further achieve our worldwide expansion strategy,” she included.

Harmonica had been backed 500 Startups (it had been section of their accelerator that is global Flat6Labs Cairo.

Both the investors with this particular purchase have actually completely exited the startup that is egyptian. This is the very first exit that is high-profile Flat6Labs, one of several earliest and leading accelerators for the area.

Ramez El-Serafy, CEO of Flat6Labs, commenting in the event, stated, “From time one we’ve had significant amounts of rely upon Harmonica’s talented group, and their truly innovative wedding matchmaking application; now, we’re delighted that Match Group is sharing the exact same confidence in going ahead with this particular remarkable deal. This deal marks the very first flat6Labs that are major with significant comes back on investment in only over one year.”

Harmonica early in the day this 12 months had additionally accompanied tech Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center’s incubation program. The startup had finished from TIEC’s incubator last thirty days.