Indian dating platform Aisle secures pre-series A funding

Indian dating app Aisle announced it has raised an undisclosed sum in its pre-series A round led by Hurun India founder Anas Rahman and Vinod Jose, founder of seed funding firm Konglo Ventures.

The round also saw participation from a number of existing investors and other angel investors, according to a statement.

The Aisle team / Photo credit: Aisle

Aisle positions itself as a middle ground between traditional matrimonial websites and casual dating apps. The startup said its platform’s proprietary algorithm is designed for Indian users looking for serious relationships by prioritizing results based on language, hobbies, and interests, among others.

Funds raised from the financing round will be used to penetrate Tier 2 markets across the country as well as expand its reach in major non-resident Indian (NRI) markets.

“Back then, only Tier 1 cities were ready for our product – dating etiquette was far from where it has reached today,” said Able Joseph, founder and CEO of Aisle. “But things have changed since the lockdown. Tier 2 cities are showing growing acceptance of technology and its use in their daily lives.”

The company said it has turned EBITDA positive after it recorded an 85.24% compound annual growth rate over the past three financial years.

The dating platform claims it has surpassed Bumble in terms of number of downloads in India. It also competes with Tinder among other platforms in the nation. The company has acquired over 3 million users, of which 9% are NRIs from across 100 countries.