Found another new dating site that wants to use DNA to set people up. This could be looked at as using the most basic decomposed level of a human to find matches.
—By CNBC's Cadie Thompson.
"Forget your profile pic. Your DNA may be your best bet for landing a date in the not-so-distant future.
The San Diego-based dating start-up called SingldOut is using genetic profiling as part of its recipe for matchmaking. And the company, which is targeting single business professionals, is getting ready to launch out of beta during the first quarter of next year in several major U.S. cities, including San Diego and Boston.
The company is betting that its biological approach to dating will help set them apart from other online dating services that limit their compatibility testing to lengthy questionnaires.
"There are an ample amount of dating sites out there, but none of them have delivered on their promise of delivering relationships that are fulfilling and that are lasting," said Jana Bayad, the company's co-founder and CEO.
"And really, 40 percent of physical attraction really is in your genes, it's in your biology, you can't help it, it's there. So that is why we decided this was a solution," Bayad said,
citing a research report.
The company wouldn't share how many users were currently in beta, but secured about $600,000 last month from private investors to help fund its launch early next year.
The DNA testing process works like this: Clients send in a DNA sample by taking a swab from inside their mouth, which is then processed in a lab by a partner of SingldOut called Instant Chemistry, a biotech start-up.
The DNA sample does not undergo full genetic testing. Rather, the company focuses on two sets of genes: the serotonin transporter gene and the Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA). The serotonin transporter genes are associated with how people respond to emotions, while the genes that make up the HLA system are responsible for regulation of the immune system.
The results of the DNA testing are then used to help people find others who are "biologically compatible" on the company's platform.
According to the
company's website, by "comparing the HLA genes of two individuals can serve as marker for the overall degree of genetic differences/diversity between two individuals."
"It really dates back to the evolutionary science of mating. Where people actually wanted to mate with people who were different so that they could secure healthier children," Bayad said.
"So that, combined with the serotonin analysis and a quick personality test, all come together for a simple solution for a person who is looking online to find out if they will have chemistry with a person they are meeting online instead of wasting their time."
The competition
The company is specifically targeting business professionals because that market is under served, Bayad said.
"There is a niche for everybody, but there's no specific niche for business professional to give them what they want. They are busy and short on time, and they want to meet with like-minded people," she said.
SingldOut helps provide a solution because it gives its users an edge in determining compatibility, she said. That edge comes with a price tag, though.
A membership that includes the DNA kit costs $149 for a three-month subscription or $199 for a six-month subscription.
The dating app LinkedUp, which Bayad said she considered a competitor, is a free service that works a lot like the dating app Tinder. However, unlike Tinder, which uses
Facebook's platform to bring in matches, LinkedUp uses
LinkedIn's source code to bring in matches for potential dates."
No comments:
Post a Comment