MagicLab is the recently-formed umbrella that contains four of the leading dating platforms in each of their respective niches. Currently overseeing Bumble, Badoo, Chappy and Lumen, MagicLab is in the market for new startups that could be brought onboard to benefit from the shared technology and engineering resources. It is focussed on developing a portfolio of brands that look to inspire social change, in a similar way that Bumble is with female empowerment. Miles Norris has been working with Badoo and the accompanying platforms for more than seven years now. His current role sees him serve as the VP of Product working on the company’s development of future features and campaigns to ensure it keeps bringing millions of people together. Miles appeared on The GDI Podcast not long before MagicLab was bought out by Blackstone Group in a deal worth approximately $3 billion, which also resulted in founder Andrey Andreev being replaced as CEO by Whitney Wolfe Herd. Listen to him speak about how MagicLab operates its various brands, what sort of startups it is looking to get involved with and where it will fit into the future dating landscape.

HubStars is one of the leading platforms that provides brands, affiliates and businesses with bespoke white label dating solutions. It also offers a number of high quality pre-made dating websites that are ready to run and promote as soon as the new partner takes control. First founded in 2005, HubStars has consistently continued to grow to the point where it serves more than 10 million online dating users and offers round the clock support in every timezone. Business Owner Michael O’Sullivan has been involved in the industry for more than a decade and has seen it undergo many changes. His current focus is to further international expansion by offering native-language products in developing markets like India. He recently joined GDI reporter Dom Whitlock to discuss his company’s extensive dating portfolio, how it has grown into a market leader and what he expects the industry will look like in a few years time.

CLiKD is the London-based dating app that helps singles make real connections with people who share their beliefs, passions and interests. Users set three multiple-choice questions about their personality that acts as a quick compatibility test and ensures the pair will have similar values. Potential matches must answer two of the three questions in the same way before they can begin a conversation. The company is also making the move into offline events with the creation of ‘Date Escapes’. Run by CLiKD’s new Head of Partnerships and current Made in Chelsea cast member Freddie Browne, the speed dating nights with a twist give newly-formed couples a chance of winning a romantic holiday to a mystery location. Chief Operating Officer Matthew Milner joined the team at the end of 2017 and has overseen the app’s consistent growth through a series of traditional, creative and influencer marketing campaigns. The pair spoke to GDI reporter Dom Whitlock about British dating trends, the success of Date Escapes and some insight into Freddie’s personal CLiKD profile.

Romance fraud is unfortunately one of the biggest issues facing the online dating industry at the moment and it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Every year thousands of vulnerable singles fall victim to this crime and wrongly send hundreds of millions of dollars to people they’ve met online. Scamalytics is the world’s leading anti-fraud company that is dedicated to the online dating industry and works tirelessly to prevent these numbers from rising. It has spent years building an in-depth shared database. This means if a scammer is detected on one dating service, they will automatically be flagged when they try and create an account on another. Scamalytics' co-founder Dan Winchester joined GDI reporter Dom Whitlock to talk about what techniques fraudsters use to extract money from online daters, and how his company is evolving to protect the industry as it grows in size every day.

Dig is the dating app for dog lovers that has been taking the USA by storm ever since it was first released in 2018. CEO Leigh Isaacson founded the startup when her sister, and company CCO, Casey broke up with her boyfriend because he just didn’t get along with her dog. Dig has since entered a whole host of major cities across the country, with interactive launch parties in each new location. Dogs are always welcome to bring their “well-behaved humans” for evenings of socialising, meeting new people and discovering companies that provide a range of pet services. One of the app’s unique features is the option for users to create a profile on behalf of their dogs, because everyone knows a new romantic partner must be compatible with their furry friend. Leigh, a former local news reporter, spoke to GDI reporter Dom Whitlock about how Dig has managed to make itself heard in the crowded dating industry, whether or not an international expansion is on the cards and the possibility of a future app for cat lovers.

WhiteLabelDating.com is one of the biggest white label providers in Europe and helps affiliates, businesses and media companies effortlessly create their own online dating platforms. First launched in 2003, WLD has now helped more than 49,000 different partners generate almost $400,000,000 from a variety of niche offerings. After having significant sustained success in the UK, WLD is now looking to up its impact across the pond by opening a fresh new US office during 2020. Dave Adams has been a part of the operation for more than eight years and now serves as the Head of Account Management and Business Development. He joined GDI reporter Dom Whitlock to discuss why more companies want to get involved in online dating, how WLD helps partners utilise the fresh stream of income to generate maximum profits and what he thinks the future of the industry is going to look like.

Dubbed the “Tinder for Toffs”, Toffee became a viral sensation when it was first released back in early 2018. The dating app for privately educated singles caused controversy and was covered by countless international media platforms who branded it “elitist” and expressed their outrage at the fact that such an app could exist. CEO Lydia Davis maintains that there is nothing discriminatory about Toffee and believes it is just another niche dating app for people who want to find a like minded partner. The extensive media coverage brought thousands of people to the app who wanted to find their privately-educated love, as well as a never ending number of trolls, including popular YouTuber WillNE. Eventually the criticism began to die down and Toffee now stands as one of the most popular startup dating apps to come out of the UK. With a recent launch in Australia already under her belt, Lydia is now looking to enter more international markets before the end of 2019. She sat down GDI reporter Dom Whitlock to talk about how she dealt with being immediately thrust into the mainstream spotlight, which countries Toffee is going to next and what she thinks the future of the online dating industry is going to look like.