Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we've seen a growing public health concern about loneliness and the difficulties of accessing significant, meaningful social connections.
In a digital-first society characterised by constant online distractions, many people are left with a painful feeling of loneliness.
However, going solo, making friends, and meeting potential partners is no easy task. In response, a crop of new startups is helping people bridge the virtual and physical worlds.
Cliq (UK)
CLIQ is a social networking and community app that allows users to connect with like-minded individuals, join interest-based communities, and attend local events.
Cliq is fundraising on Seedrs, which has raised over £500 so far.
Tasteit (Georgia/Germany)
Tasteit is changing how dating apps work by using food as a medium for foodies. On the platform, you swipe food instead of humans, match with people according to your food preferences, and plan when and what to eat.
The platform also offers exclusive deals with local restaurants, showing their dishes and connecting them to food enthusiasts.
Thursday (UK)
Thursday offers a solution to dating app fatigue. For 24 hours only, the app comes to life every Thursday and shows you who you want to date that day. This approach creates a less overwhelming dating experience compared to traditional apps available daily.
Hyper-local in-person events on a Thursday are an opportunity to bring those people together.
The company has raised over £2.6 million. However, in January this year, co-founder George Rawlings was chastised following a now-deleted Linkedin post he published, featuring a picture of the firm's staff, which said "70 per cent of the people you see in this picture have been made redundant."
Clicqui (Germany)
Founded to cater for gen -z and millennial women, Clicqui hosts curated dinners and social events that break the ice more effectively than any "friendship dating app" or random meetup could.
The startup recently launched a run club which booked out in less than 20 minutes, with 100+ people on the waiting list.
Clicqui is currently active in Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich, and coming soon to Paris.
Timeleft (France)
Timeleft is a social events platform that facilitates meaningful connections through dining experiences.
The platform uses an algorithm to connect dinners based on their personality and dinner preferences, offering a structured yet casual way for people to meet and interact.
The platform hosts weekly dinners in over 170 cities and 27 countries.
Playdate (UK)
Playdate is the UK's first dating app catering solely to single parents. The app allows single parents to find meaningful relationships that work alongside their lifestyle and commitments.
The app has seen incremental growth from single mums and dads and has proven that there is an untapped market for single parents looking for meaningful relationships.
App features include an in-app childcare solution in partnership with the UK's leading nanny and sitter app, Bubble, and an invisibility feature that allows users to make themselves invisible to ex-partners.
The company raised £440,00 in January this year.
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