Singapore start-ups Paktor, dating is also the same name as the application developer, announced today that it received 10 million Singapore b round of funding, or $ 7.35 million. In a round of financing, the startup claims to have 1.5 million people have registered users. Now, in Indonesia, and Malaysia, and Thailand, and Viet Nam and Taiwan expanded the market, its number of registered users has risen to 5 million, matched 12 million per month. Active user data is not disclosed.
Not only dating application
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Phua ended after a failed relationship in 2013, creating Paktor. At first, this app is totally dating purposes, just as the name suggests, is a Taiwanese "dating" method.
But the ambitions of startups can be more than that. Phua said in an interview: "with the company's vision of progress and development, as well as we learn more and more, we recognize that the meeting between people but also in other aspects of life. They can deal in the works, can be met when gathering with friends or drink, can also be in the Group knew a friend of a friend. Looking farther, in every aspect of life you can meet new people, we want to try to do is through a single platform to meet and serve the different levels. "
While this may seem deviated from the application's primary function, but Phua thinks are still basically achieved the initial goal of bringing people together. Just become more broad in scope. Someone might warn Paktor, market competition has been fierce, but Phua said they had their own plans.
Phua believes that, as Facebook and traditional social tools like Instagram has occupied the leading position in their respective areas, but they were not involved in making friends and building new relationships content (not just dating in this respect).
Recent data on Paktor, for example with a common interest in establishing group chat, show that this form of communication in social space, but this does not hinder the final could turn into a dating relationship (like a group of friends to a new date). But they do encourage other types of social relationships, which is Paktor think it worthwhile to establish market segments. Development outside of the start-ups in the date field similar to the successful transformation of Chinese date applied theology, theology.
Perfect match
Phua said, Convergence Ventures to Paktor, and Majuven fitting. They "believe in what we do and want to help us achieve our goals. "
Majuven Ho Kee Lim is also the managing partner of SingPost's non-Executive Chairman of the postal service. His experience in the traditional industries, coupled with his understanding of new models, SingPost has made great contribution to the development. Phua said the quality is quite helpful in providing guidance to Paktor. The other hand, Convergence to Paktor another important markets--Indonesia, provides insights and expertise.
The startups will use the funds to develop three fields. Company will be "massive" recruitment. Paktor ended a round of financing with 15 employees, now grown to 50 people.
Phua said: "in fact this is what we have been doing since the last 1.5 months of focus from technology to business development to recruit talent. This will be the key to our next couple of months--we need a strong team to carry out the work. "
Paktor expanding existing markets and other markets is part of the plan. Phua said in its active State "three cities", the enterprise has good performance. Enter the cities in these countries is Paktor key step in increasing the user base, especially in Indonesia such a State, 6-12 in future months, start-ups market has huge potential for development. Beautiful round O2O road from buying into continuing
Most importantly, Paktor is developing Asian markets in the North, due to resource constraints, this is not taken into account in the past. This does not rule out possible out of Asia, Phua said: "I am not saying that we will do so, but the time is right, we still have the potential to move into other areas. "
Finally, the start-ups will continue to improve products, increasing the range of capabilities, including existing group chat features, user virtual gift function, and enhance filtering criteria such as age, and height. Phua said the company expects Paktor became one such application: users for additional social value or conscious every day to view the application, does not want to pass the application to find the next date.
Competitors
Paktor is certainly not only participants in the dating or social networking applications. Western start-ups like Tinder and Meetup.com is obviously stronger opponents. Also no lack of competition in Asia, such as Noonswoon and Peekawoo, as well as newcomers to Sup. But Phua said Paktor competition is not other services, but users. Paktor is more concerned, why not use a certain type of target users services, rather than why they do not use Paktor service.
Phua believes that Paktor for planning and implementation of the concept of force, understanding of local market environment is the key to stand out. Phua said: "I'm sure there are other teams in the world will do as well as we, or beyond us, but it is the local market knowledge of our team, we have the advantage over others. "
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