Dating startup Lunch Actually ties the knot with Indonesia’s Setipe

Setipe and Lunch Actually about a year ago. (L – R: Rindra Satriya, Razi Thalib, Andrea Gunawan, Violet Lim, Jamie Lee) Photo credit: Razi Thalib.

A Singapore-based company of dating apps, Lunch Actually Group, has acquired Indonesian online dating service Setipe. Today’s announcement did not mention the terms of the deal.

Founded by husband and wife team Violet Lim and Jamie Lee, the startup runs Esync, a website for matchmaking; dating consultancy service Lunch Actually; and LunchClick, an app that gets people together to talk over a meal.

The group raised a series A round of funding in September last year.

Setipe is in many ways a good match for Lunch Actually.

Founded in 2013 by Razi Thalib and Kevin Aluwi, Setipe positioned itself as a site for those looking for serious life partners rather than hookups, which is in sync with what Lunch Actually stands for.

“Since both companies’ inception, Lunch Actually Group and Setipe have been clear about their primary
objective; that is to help serious singles find love,” states the press release.

After the acquisition, Setipe founder Thalib will remain CEO of Setipe and will also head up Lunch Actually
Group’s Indonesian operations.

Before the acquisition, the companies had been “dating” for about two years, says Lunch Actually’s Lim in the release.

“We realized last year that monetizing effectively in Asia, Indonesia specifically, still required an offline/hybrid play. Lunch actually has been monetizing offline/hybrid matchmaking services for 13 years,” says Thalib. The Singaporean firm offers a range of dating-related services and tools, including offline matchmaking and date coaching.

“Last year we started a partnership where Setipe provided leads to Lunch Actually. This was the start of the relationship. We feel Lunch Actually’s offline/hybrid products, sales process, and regional access complimented what we do well.”

Setipe itself will likey undergo a few changes to integrate with Lunch Actually’s ecosystem of services to take advantage of cross and upselling opportunities depending on the member’s needs, says Thalib.

Paktor, another company with a swath of dating related services, has also been on an acquisition spree and diversified its offerings to move into entertainment-related topics.

We’ve contacted Lunch Actually  and Setipe for more details on the deal and what it means and we’ll update this piece when we hear back.