Chinese gay dating app passes 15 million users

By John Mack Freeman (thanks to Ann Symons for the tip!)

Chinese gay dating app Blued has surpassed 15 million users. Having grown out of the website Danlan.org, the site was originally created by Ma Baoli, a former member of the police force in a seaside city in China. The site and the app have experienced explosive growth, becoming the largest gay dating app in the world in less than two years. Via Huffington Post:

And last month, his company, Blue City, received $30 million in funding from Silicon Valley venture capital company DCM Ventures. Ma hopes to use the money to expand abroad and possibly prepare for an IPO. He is also considering launching a dating app for lesbians.

In a country where the government considers any activism dangerous and where homosexuality has traditionally been taboo, Ma has managed to build his business partly by reaching out to government agencies and showing them he can provide a public service in spreading safe-sex messages.

Whereas the website was originally shut down regularly by Chinese authorities, these days it stays up pretty much full time. The app and site, now run by a company known as Blue City, employs over 40 software designers and engineers, and it is poised for even greater growth after a $30 million round of funding from a venture capitalist fund.

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