A Dating App Exclusively For Asian Americans Just Raised $1 Million

December 19, 2016

If you haven’t heard yet, a dating service tailored for Asians in the U.S. is around, and it just raised $1 million of venture capital from multiple investors.

You can now kiss your old app goodbye.

EastMeetsEast is the brainchild of serial entrepreneur Mariko Tokioka, founder and former chief operating officer of edtech startup Quipper.

The New York-based service, exclusively dedicated to the Asian population, has brought partners to 1,862 individuals so far. It also raised $1 million from multiple investors recently, including 500 Startups, East Ventures, DeNA, iSGS Investment Works, Accord Ventures, Nippon Venture Capital and Mercari’s Shintaro Yamada.

On top of its exclusivity, EastMeetsEast distinguishes itself from other dating services by matching couples with mutual backgrounds and interests. That is, users find each other through common activities and interests.

The service also boasts of a robust AI that delivers potential matches straight to your inbox every week:

“This sophisticated and powerful system is designed to increase your chance of meeting someone special by scouring our database to find the best candidates for you.”

In an interview with AlleyWatch, Tokioka revealed her motivation for starting the company:

“I wanted to meet someone who shared my culture and language and could talk to my parents. That was very hard to do on existing dating sites because they tend to group all Asians together. I thought: There’s JDate for Jewish matches, and a number for black people, so why isn’t there one for Asians?”

EastMeetsEast is currently free for women, while men are charged $30 each month. It eyes expansion throughout the US, followed by Canada, Australia, the UK and Hong Kong.

The service is available on iOS and the web. An Android app is expected early next year, TechCrunch said.

Share this Article