Shahzad Younas’s Muslim dating application aided 15,000 partners meet and acquire hitched. He informs Amelia Heathman about modern love
The expression goes: вЂMuslims don’t date, we marry’,” claims Shahzad Younas, creator and CEO associated with the Muslim matching software Muzmatch. “It’s a phrase that is generalised it strikes the nail from the mind. If I’m fulfilling a lady, we’re both reasoning, is this individual wedding product?”
Muzmatch is usually dubbed the Muslim Tinder but Younas just isn’t therefore pleased with the contrast. It utilizes some typical structures that are dating-app such as for instance swipes and likes, but alternatively of targeting casual hook-ups it’s all about assisting Muslims find anyone to marry.
Numerous Muslims are required to marry young also to someone of this exact same faith. Choices consist of dealing with a matchmaker, which computer technology graduate Younas defines as “like getting your CV passed around” to get a suitable partner. Therefore it had been back 2014, after hearing their buddies swap tales about dating battles, he chose to produce an software that will make the dating process more “halal” — acceptable in religious legislation.
Younas quit his task as a good investment banker and invested half a year working 18-hour times to produce Muzmatch in their bed room. 6 months after introducing, the application had produced its very first wedding.
“A few got in contact to state вЂthank you, we got hitched as a result of your app’. I became like, OK, it is real,” he said. The http://online-brides.net outcome talk on their own: Muzmatch has one or more . 5 million users plus some 15,000 partners ‘ve got hitched after fulfilling upon it.
It produced title for it self away from Muslim community because of an advertisement campaign that went in the Tube this past year featuring Lionel Richie singing: “Halal, could it be me you’re trying to find?” The app ranks higher for downloads than the other religious-focused matching apps including JSwipe (Jewish) and Salt (Christian), according to analytics company App Annie, so it’s no wonder the big dating companies have come knocking in terms of competitors.
Younas won’t mention who, but states he has turned them straight straight straight down everytime. “We’re on an objective to change how Muslims across the world think of marriage, and acquire married.”
Lots of work switches into making sure Muzmatch is really a space that is safe Muslims to talk and fulfill on the web. In 2016, the working platform introduced selfie verification to make certain everyone else from the software is whom they do say they are. The business possesses group in Bangladesh which, alongside its HQ in Aldgate, manually moderates every profile.
Other privacy features are embedded. Users can request a chaperone show up in conversations regarding the application, such as for instance a member of family, as per an Islamic principle that whenever unmarried women and men chat a alternative party should be there. Users may also guarantee they’ve no profile image on the account or details such as for example their complete name, so they may be as personal online as you are able to. “It’s about comprehending that Muslims are incredibly diverse and now we don’t like to force individuals down a road that is particular. You want to end up being the space that is safe offer top-level privacy to your users,” says Younas.
Security is vital for any other reasons. “We get lots of EDL kinds and people that are right-wing you plenty of abuse — putting up Bin Laden images and all sorts of that sorts of stuff,” claims Younas. “The positive thing is they get spotted quickly and eliminated so we can block those users in a permanent method.” In the upside, Muzmatch comes with non-Muslims registering because they’re interested in the faith, such the man that is 50-plus transformed into Islam after meeting somebody regarding the application. “The human being tales can be pressing. We’re wanting to tread that type of being available but faithful that is equally being our community. It’s a tricky line to walk down but We think we’ve nailed it.”
Therefore what’s next? The start-up has accomplished profitability as a result of its premium paid-for tier however the next phase is to keep to enhance the application and its particular features, and expand the group and its own reach. “Purely on a figures foundation, one-fifth worldwide is Muslim,” claims Younas. “On top of the, we estimate there are about 400 million Muslims who will be solitary and qualified. We glance at that, and we’ve not really produced dent.”
To aid Muzmatch with its mission, the start-up has now announced the close of a large show A money round for $7m. Investors included respected Silicon Valley-based accelerator Y Combinator – Younas participated into the programme back 2017 – also as Luxor Capital.
“Shahzad has plainly made a thing that individuals want,” claims Tim Brady, somebody at Y Combinator. “He is just a founder that is resourceful happens to be playing their users as well as in the procedure has continued to develop an excellent solution for the Muslim community, in a fashion that main-stream businesses have actually did not do.”
Beyond bringing individuals together, Younas additionally would like to alter attitudes within the Muslim world to ensure marriage is approached in a contemporary means. “My vision is the fact that whenever Muslims across the world think of engaged and getting married Muzmatch pops into the mind — plus it feels as though a clear, non-taboo action to take,” he states. “I always think Muslims are five years behind the main-stream, specially when it comes down to technology. Now it is time to allow them to get up.”
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