Shahzad Younas’s Muslim app that is dating 15,000 partners meet and obtain hitched. He informs Amelia Heathman about contemporary love
uslims don’t date, we marry’,” claims Shahzad Younas, creator and CEO for the Muslim matching software Muzmatch. “It’s a generalised phrase but it strikes the nail regarding the mind. If I’m fulfilling a lady, we’re both reasoning, is this individual wedding material?”
Muzmatch is normally dubbed the Muslim Tinder but Younas just isn’t therefore satisfied with the contrast. It makes use of some typical dating-app structures, such as for example swipes and likes, but rather of targeting casual hook-ups it’s all about assisting Muslims find anyone to marry.
Numerous Muslims are required to marry young also to some body associated with faith that is same. Choices include working together with a matchmaker, which computer technology graduate Younas defines as “like getting your CV passed around” to get a partner that is appropriate. So that it ended up being back 2014, after hearing their buddies swap tales about dating battles, he chose to produce an application that will make the dating process more “halal” — acceptable in religious legislation.
Younas quit their task as a good investment banker and invested half a year working days that are 18-hour produce Muzmatch inside the bed room. Half a year after starting, the application had produced its very very first wedding.
“A few got in contact to express вЂthank you, we got hitched due to your app’. I happened to be like, OK, this might be real,” he said. The outcome talk on their own: Muzmatch has one or more . 5 million users plus some 15,000 partners ‘ve got hitched after meeting upon it.
It produced name for it self away from Muslim community as a result of an advertisement campaign that went from the Tube this past year featuring Lionel Richie singing: “Halal, will it be me you’re seeking?” with regards to rivals, the application ranks greater for packages as compared to other religious-focused matching apps including JSwipe (Jewish) and Salt (Christian), in accordance with analytics business App Annie, so it’s not surprising the big relationship companies came knocking.
Younas won’t mention who, but states he has turned them straight straight down everytime. “We’re on an objective to transform how Muslims across the world think of marriage, to get married.”
Lots of work switches into making sure Muzmatch is just a space that is safe Muslims to talk and satisfy on line. In 2016, the working platform introduced selfie verification to make sure everybody else from the application is whom they state they truly are. The organization possesses united group in Bangladesh which, alongside its HQ in Aldgate, manually moderates every profile.
Other privacy features are embedded. Users can request a chaperone be there in conversations from the software, such as for instance a member of the family, as per an Islamic principle that whenever unmarried people chat a 3rd party should be there. Users also can make sure they’ve no profile image on the account or details such as for instance their complete name, so they may be as personal online as you can. “It’s about comprehending that Muslims are incredibly diverse and now we don’t desire to force individuals down a road that is particular. We should function as space that is safe provide top-level privacy to the users,” says Younas.
Security is vital for any other reasons. “We get lots of EDL kinds and Right-wing people providing you a great deal of abuse — putting up Bin Laden images and all sorts of that style of stuff,” claims Younas. “The good thing is they get spotted quickly and eliminated so we can block those users in a permanent method.” From the upside, Muzmatch has non-Muslims registering since they’re interested in learning the religion, such the 50-plus guy whom transformed into Islam after fulfilling some body from the application. “The human being tales can be pressing. We’re wanting to tread that type of being open but faithful that is equally being our community. It’s a line that is tricky 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 nevertheless the stage that is next to keep to enhance the software as well as its features, and expand the group and its particular reach. “Purely for a numbers foundation, one-fifth of the world is Muslim,” says Younas. “On top of this, we estimate there remain 400 million Muslims that are single and eligible. We have a look at that, and we’ve not produced dent.”
To aid Muzmatch with its objective, the start-up has now announced the close of a huge show A financing round for $7m. Investors included respected Silicon accelerator that is valley-based Combinator – Younas participated when you look at the programme back web site here 2017 – also as Luxor Capital.
“Shahzad has demonstrably made a thing that individuals want,” claims Tim Brady, somebody at Y Combinator. “He is a founder that is resourceful happens to be playing his users plus in the method is rolling out an excellent solution for the Muslim community, in a fashion that conventional organizations have actually neglected to do.”
Beyond bringing individuals together, Younas additionally would like to alter attitudes within the Muslim world to make certain that marriage is approached in a way that is modern. “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 an evident, non-taboo action to take,” he states. “I always think Muslims are five years behind the main-stream, particularly when it comes down to tech. Now it is time in order for them to get up.”