[ibimage==32417==Large==none==self==ibimage_align-center]
Interested Inc., the startup that launched Thread, a college focused mobile dating app, has just raised $585,000 in seed funding. The Thread app was founded by 18-year old Zachary Dell, son of PC entrepreneur Michael Dell.
“Thread shows you 10 people per day from your campus and lets you anonymously decide who you’d like to meet. If they like you back, we’ll connect you,” the company’s website said. A cross between Tinder’s mutual-like feature and Coffee Meet Bagel’s match of the day, Thread is only available on iOS. The dating app comes up with prospective matches based on your interests and favorite activities on Facebook.
Currently only available to University of Texas at Austin students, CEO Lander Coronado-Garcia said at the Innotech Conference in Austin that the app had about 1,000 members. The company has plans to launch to other colleges in 2015.
Investors in the college startup are a remarkably deep list of who’s who in tech, including Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com, Shervin Pishevar, co-founder of Sherpa Ventures, and Joshua Baer of Capital Factory. Thread was incubated at Capital Factory.
Speaking of dating, in a strange coincidence, founder Zachary Dell’s sister, Alexa Deal is in a relationship with Tinder CEO Sean Rad. As well as the mutual-like feature, Thread shares a similar user experience to Tinder.
Thread joins a growing list of dating apps, including Tinder, that are mobile focused and free, if not freemium. Legacy paid dating websites like Match.com and eHarmony still exist and still are bringing in solid revenues, but they represent a higher-end market, typically populated by customers interested in long-term relationships. Apps like Thread and Tinder are filling in demand for more casual and cheap dating.
Have a tip for us or know of a company that deserves coverage? Email us via [email protected]
