July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

Do you relish the idea of your phone buzzing with potential suitors?

If you need a dozen options for a date tonight — and live in cities like New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles — a new app called Let’s Date is launching today. Forget the extended courtship period — this app cuts to the chase, no back-and-forth messages or planning required.

It claims to be the first mobile-only dating product, although OkCupid just launched a free smartphone app for blind dates (I would know — for our in-depth review, I actually went on one of these dates.)

In an interview with VentureBeat, Let’s Date founder Sean Suhl said they designed the app to replicate those jittery feelings of catching a stranger’s eye in a bar. “You go to a bar or show or party … you strike up a conversation and maybe set up a date. This was the experience we wanted people to have on their phone.”

Let’s Date spun out of Science Inc. a Los Angeles-based technology studio that creates and acquires applications. Its founding team previously developed SuicideGirls, the popular community for fans of “alternative beauty.” SuicideGirls is still going strong under new management; the founders told TechCrunch that their years of experience building an online community will come in handy.

Connect with Facebook to create a “dating card” on the app.

Suhl designed the app to appeal to urban and professional women, so I decided to give it a whirl.

Download the app for free and log in with Facebook Connect (it didn’t show up in my news feed — phew), and it prompts you to answer a series of questions to help the app find you a match. Whoever created the survey likely has a dodgy dating history — on the topic of “drug use,” I’m asked whether I’m a “drug free,” “down the hatch,” “up the nose” or “in the veins” girl. For booze, those who enjoy a 2 p.m. tipple can select “Don Draper train wreck.”

Once you’ve filled out the necessary steps, the app automatically creates a dating card. You then may browse singles’ dating cards or sit idly by until you request a Let’s Date request, which you can accept or decline with a simple “no thanks.”

The company claims it set up 25,000 people on dates in January alone.

Let’s Date also uses a recommendations engine to improve its date suggestions and find a venue for you to meet. In testing, the user experience team discovered that female daters were more likely to tap “Let’s Date” on a match if they were presented a couple less optimal options first.

So don’t be surprised if your first few suggested dates are total duds. The algorithm meant to do that.

The app is a step ahead of OkCupid’s Crazy Blind Date — I would feel more comfortable going on a date with a stranger if I could peruse their interests and profile pics.

However, it shares many of the same flaws — tech nerds tend to be early adopters of new dating apps. It’s not ideal if you’re looking to meet people in other industries. Case in point: My first match’s status? “A lot of people seemed surprised that someone interested in computers would also be interested in painting.”

Single readers, would you give Let’s Date a shot? If you’ve already taken the plunge, I’d love to hear from you!

photo credit: fotosiamo via photopin cc

In China, a good casual encounter is hard to find. To help solve this problem, Momo Tech has raised $40 million for its app that helps nearby strangers connect with each other.

The product is similar to Grindr, Skout, Blendr and Badoo, except this one is based in China. With 10 million users, 2.2 million of whom use the app daily, and the addition of 1 million users a month, Momo’s success shows that China is fertile ground for this type of technology.

Americans still feel some hesitation for apps that connect people with others nearby. Grindr is known as being the gay hook-up app, and Skout recently dealt with controversy because creeps were using it to find victims for sexual assault and rape. The Chinese, however, seem more open to embracing friend-finding technology.

Momo means “Hi, stranger” in Mandarin. Like any service that helps strangers find each other, it can be used simply to find a companion for coffee on-the-go, as a random hook-up tool, or even to find a mate. Safety concerns, of course, remain a factor, but the traction shows they are not enough to deter interest.

Dating is challenging in China where demographic and cultural constraints surround courtship. For the most part, women are not only looking for partners but for material gain. Online dating sites are wildly popular, as are matchmaking events and even contests where women vie for the attention of wealthy men. The process comes with high-pressure expectations.

For this reason, a tool that allows people to find casual interactions, free from expectation, may seem like a welcome relief. It is a way to bring together people who are not looking for a serious relationship. Momo acquired 10 million users in just one year.

The impressive numbers make it a compelling investment opportunity. It has not been disclosed where the money came form.

While men may be attracted by the possibility of finding random sexual encounters, it begs the question if the women are as well, or if this is just another way to source potential husbands.