The London-based company, which has 130 million users in 180 countries and has recently made a push into U.S. borders, touts its free new features -- “Interests” and “Ice Breaker” -- as digital aids for users who are concerned about leaving favorable first impressions.
Ice Breaker offers conversation starters, while the Interests component allows users to leave self-generated hobbies instead of pre-defined ones like other dating sites require. Badoo predicts the features "will help thousands of people connect with like-minded friends, hobby partners or potential love interests."
“It’s hard work coming up with lines to impress new people,” says Jessica Powell, Badoo's chief marketing officer. “We all want to appear funny, smart and relevant, and talking about things you already know the other person is interested in gives you a head start. It makes the approach much more personal and, the likelihood is, more successful."
Badoo, which launched in 2006 and snatched up $30 million in funding in 2008 when it had just 12 million users, is available as a browser service, iPhone app or Android app.
At the Le Web conference on Dec. 7, Badoo founder Andrey Andreev discussed the company's growth, including the U.S. expansion and its 400 employees. The company is profitable. A feature that lets users pay money to have their profiles featured higher in the app is one way Badoo brings in money.