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Index Growth Invests in be2, leading global match-making site
November 12 2008
be2, a leading global matchmaking site with more than 12 million members in 34 countries, today announced it has received an investment of €15 million from the Index Ventures growth fund. be2 will use the capital to further international expansion and increase its user base in existing markets. Angel investors and Paris-based Banexi Ventures were the company's initial investors and Index partner, Dom Vidal, will take a seat on the board.Founder and CEO Robert Wuttke said "Index's Growth Fund was formed to support large private companies that want to expand significantly, so it is a perfect fit for be2. We look forward to taking advantage of Index's global network and strength in building big businesses as we take be2 to the next level."
Having launched its first website in Germany (2004), be2 has grown quickly and now employs 228 people of 41 different nationalities based in 11 cities around the world. The service is available in six continents and is currently attracting 20,000 new members per day. be2 offers more than other plain vanilla dating sites, which typically rely on photos and users browsing profiles. Instead, be2 members complete a detailed and in-depth personality test when they register. That information is processed by an algorithm which identifies specific personality traits and characteristics and uses them to match potentially compatible partners. The end result of this targeted and scientific approach is a high success rate for members and an efficient, effective and safe environment in which they can find their ideal match. The user demographic of be2 is slightly older, compared to other dating sites, with an age range of 25 - 69 years and a majority of users aged 30 - 49 years.
"be2 has taken a scientific approach to matchmaking and in addition to creating a positive experience for their users, they have been more successful than any other company at replicating that service across multiple international markets," said Dom Vidal, partner at Index Ventures. "The team is strong in both engineering and execution and is capitalizing on a huge market opportunity. We are excited to be working with be2 and look forward to helping the company continue its impressive growth."
