Poze is a ground-breaking mobile dating app that enables singles to form lasting connections based on shared passion for philanthropic causes. Created by Andrea Ryan and Ian Ratner after Ian's online dating experience, following 20 years out of the market, revealed that little has changed over the past two decades. While online dating has evolved from a browser to a user-friendly mobile experience, current options available to singles use a superficial approach that doesn’t lend itself to long term relationship success. Poze blends technological advances with an algorithm that values shared connection to revolutionize a $3.7B industry.

"The space has not significantly evolved. Existing dating apps are either overly superficial or overly complicated and I believe that there has to be a better way.

- Ian Ratner, Co-founder of Poze

At Poze we help singles find partners based on the causes they're passionate about as well as common interests they share, and as an added bonus we direct donations to deserving nonprofits to help generate necessary change in the world.

Research shows that shared interests and beliefs are a key foundation of a strong, successful, and long-lasting relationship. 

Here’s how it works:  Our Poze charity dating auction platform connects local singles based on shared values and will change the world by funding valuable charitable organizations that they both care about. 

The Poze algorithm connects users through common charitable passion, because our users are looking for a lasting connection. Shared values create commonality and open lines of communication from the first interation.

Singles search for a date that they would like to bid on, or can “poze” a date to benefit a cause, choose an intriguing winner, and meet their match on the date. Poze generates revenue through both a per auction fee as well as a per bid fee from each Pozer who engages with an auction. The “winning” bid amount (winning is determined by the Pozer after completion of the auction based on mutual interest) is donated directly to the nonprofit by Poze.

Market:
Online dating is a $3.7 B sector and continues to grow at 11% per year. Charitable giving is a $450B market and growing at 5% annually. We see an opportunity to facilitate $1B in charitable donations annually by just capturing 1% of the online dating market.

Early Market Traction: 

Over 6 weeks, we piloted the app in trial markets, including Washington DC, Seattle and Dallas/Fort Worth. 

We received 17K unique visitors to our website, thousands of app store views, 500+ downloads, and have seen a 33% week-over-week user profile growth during the trial only having reached 6.3 % of singles in those markets.

Extrapolating from our experience, we anticipate exponential user profile growth once we reach a critical mass in each market. Our next marketing drive will focus heavily on social media influencers in key demographics promoting the app, hosting live events with nonprofit and other partners to drive downloads and mass excitement unique to Poze, leveraging nonprofit partners to market directly to their members, donors, volunteers, and other constituents.

We’ve also seen early success developing initial partnerships, both locally and nationally and we see huge potential, as this is a zero-cost marketing opportunity for Poze and a zero-risk fundraising opportunity for the nonprofits. 

The Asks: We are asking for $575k to launch in several targeted markets as well as V.2 development. This encompasses a $100k allocation for development, $450k to launch marketing efforts into 5 major US markets, and $25k for general and administrative expenses. 

A portion of your investment will be allocated for development of our next generation app which introduces Knowledge Philanthropy. Our goal will be to virtually connect customers with thought leaders in many industries. (entrepreneurship, business, design, entertainment, sports, etc.) Proceeds from these events would be donated to worthwhile causes. We see V.2 as an opportunity to expand Poze's customer base beyond the dating market and exponentially increase the lifetime value of each user. 

Our end goal is for Poze to be acquired in the next 4-6 years by one of the larger dating groups. We see Poze being acquired most likely as their charitable arm.

So who will be the team to get us there? Here they are 🥁 ... 

Team:

Our founders are Ian Ratner, CEO, and Andrea Ryan, Chief Marketing Officer. Ian began as a software engineer in telecom before moving into software product development in financial services and for a startup, most recently leading digital transformation and program management at global companies. Prior to joining Poze, Andrea worked in content marketing and growth marketing for early stage consumer products and B2B offerings. Most recently she has owned and operated her own business, Digital Docent Consulting, LLC.

With Poze, millions of singles will have their best dates ever, and as an investor, your best investment ever will significantly transform the online dating world forever!

In order to reinvent the online dating world, we need your help!