Online dating is already a bit of a minefield. Throw a global pandemic into the equation, dating in 2021 isn’t easy. But there’s no doubt that dating apps have thrived in the past couple of years, as result. 

This trend isn’t likely to slow down just because COVID is coming to an end. Recognising this, we look at the newcomers entering the dating scene. 

Thursday, the dating app backed by Monzo founder Tom Blomfield, is a unique concept whereby you match, flirt and chat during the day on a Thursday before locking in a date evening. Raising an impressive £2.5m in funding, they’re on track to overtake the big players dominating the dating scene. 

Using real time geolocation technology, Happn will match you with people who are also on the app in close proximity on a daily basis. With a 100M worldwide users and a total of £16M raised in funding, their personal take on dating sets them apart from their competitors.

So Syncd, the dating app that matches compatible personality types, has raised a seed round of almost £1m to grow its user base. Founded by 2 sisters in Cornwall, they’ve used a unique algorithm, based on the Myers-Briggs personality test to bring people together. 

The online dating market value is expected to reach £74 million this year so whether we like it or not, these platforms are here to stay, pandemic or no pandemic.