Sarah Beeny’s about dating seeks suitors that are website
My Single buddy, an online dating internet site established by the tv presenter Sarah Beeny, happens to be set up on the market for up to Ј15m.
Its major investors – Ms Beeny therefore the technology business Telecom Express – have hired the accountancy firm BDO to manage a purchase associated with business come early july.
First-round bids of between Ј10m and Ј15m had been submitted early in the day this month, mainly by rival online dating sites organizations, however some personal equity organizations will also be interested. BDO declined to comment, while My Single buddy and Telecom Express failed to get back telephone telephone calls.
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Ms Beeny, whom hosts Channel 4’s Property Ladder programme, has about 40 percent of My Single buddy, which she co-founded together with her buddy Amanda Christie in 2004.
The website is exclusive in that members must nominate a buddy who can compose a description of them – which, unlike other sites that are dating implies that a person’s profile features both their particular terms and the ones of the buddy.
In search of love on the net has lost most of its stigma, analysts state. There is 25 % increase in traffic to UK dating sites in July – the highest top in visits for 36 months, based on Hitwise.
Final month, internet relationship accounted for starters in almost every 160 online visits created by computer users in Britain.
Whilst the investors searching for to offer My Single buddy, it really is grasped they might start thinking about attempting to sell a minority stake to greatly help introduce the internet site offshore.
A supply stated: “the true possibility is worldwide expansion because no body else on earth does this friend suggestion plus it works effectively. The website is extremely gluey.”
My Single buddy draws 9,000 singles that are new thirty days from across the UK. It really is on the right track in order to make underlying earnings of about Ј1.5m this season.
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One or more personal equity company has bid for My Single buddy, nevertheless the primary interest is from rival internet dating players. If they have submitted first rounds bids for My Single Friend, its suitors could include IAC, which owns Match, and the US company eHarmony while it is unclear.
Telecom Express, which offers online and mobile services for news organizations, purchased its stake during my Single buddy year that is last. The organization additionally operates internet dating sites for papers plus the Classic FM radio section.
Ms Beeny states her attempts that are own match-making provided her the theory for a web site where individuals could explain their buddies. She additionally co-founded the internet site Tepilo, which assists users to purchase, offer or allow no charges to their properties or commission.
searching for love online
*My Single Friend could be the tenth-most popular internet that is subscription-based web site in the united kingdom and has about 20,000 users.
*The probability of finding love online seem better for males, at the least in London and Manchester. In London, you can find 5,780 right ladies hunting for males aged between 30 and 40, but just 3,800 guys searching for ladies in the same a long time. In Manchester, the ratio of females searching for males, and vice-versa, is 460 to 300.
*The most popular dating that is online in the united kingdom is Plentyoffish, even though this is partly since it is free. Plentyoffish accounted for 21.23 % of visits to internet dating sites in July, in accordance with Hitwise.
*The biggest UK player having a registration model is Match, which received 7.3 percent of dating ukrainian brides traffic.
*Others featuring in Hitwise’s top 10 include Gaydar and Intercourse in the united kingdom.