Muzmatch: the app that is dating the way in which Muslims find love

Shahzad Younas’s Muslim dating software aided 15,000 partners meet to get hitched. He informs Amelia Heathman about contemporary love

The expression goes: ‘Muslims don’t date, we marry’,” claims Shahzad Younas, creator and CEO for the Muslim matching app Muzmatch. “It’s a generalised expression but it strikes the nail in the mind. If I’m fulfilling a woman, we’re both reasoning, is this individual wedding product?”

Muzmatch is frequently dubbed the Muslim Tinder but Younas isn’t therefore satisfied with the contrast. It utilizes 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 you to definitely marry.

Numerous Muslims are required to marry young and also to somebody regarding the faith that is same. Choices consist of using the services of a matchmaker, which computer technology graduate Younas defines as “like getting your CV passed around” to locate a suitable partner. That he decided to create an app that would make the dating process more “halal” — acceptable in religious law so it was back in 2014, after hearing his friends swap stories about dating struggles.

Younas quit their task as an investment banker and invested 6 months working 18-hour times to produce Muzmatch in their bed room. 6 months after establishing, the software had produced its very first wedding.

“A few got in contact to state ‘thank you, we got hitched as a result of your app’. I became like, OK, this really is real,” he said. The outcomes talk on their own: Muzmatch has several . 5 million people plus some 15,000 partners ‘ve got hitched after fulfilling upon it.

It made a name for it self outside of the Muslim community as a result of an advertising campaign that went regarding the Tube a year ago featuring Lionel Richie singing: “Halal, can it be me you’re hunting for?” The app ranks higher for downloads than the other religious-focused matching apps including JSwipe (Jewish) and Salt (Christian), according to analytics company App Annie, so it’s no wonder the big dating companies have come knocking in terms of competitors.

Younas won’t mention who, but states he has turned them straight straight straight straight down everytime. “We’re on an objective to transform how Muslims around the world think of marriage, and obtain married.”

Lots of work switches into making sure Muzmatch is a safe room for Muslims to talk and fulfill on the web. In 2016, the working platform introduced selfie verification to make sure everyone else on the application is whom they do say these are generally. The organization includes a 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 example a member of family, as per an Islamic principle that whenever unmarried gents and ladies chat a party that is third show up. Users may also guarantee they’ve no profile image to their account or details such as for instance their complete name, so they could be as personal online as you can. “It’s about comprehending that Muslims are incredibly diverse and then we don’t would you like to force individuals down a road that is particular. You want to function as space that is safe offer top-level privacy to your users,” says Younas.

Security is vital for any other reasons. “We get lots of EDL kinds and people that are right-wing that you great deal of abuse — putting up Bin Laden images and all sorts of that types of stuff,” claims Younas. “The positive thing is they get spotted quickly and eliminated so we can block those users in a permanent means.” in the upside, Muzmatch comes with non-Muslims registering since they’re interested in learning the faith, such the man that is 50-plus changed into Islam after fulfilling some body regarding the application. “The individual tales can be pressing. We’re wanting to tread that type of being available but equally being faithful to our community. It’s a tricky line to 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 continue to improve the software and its particular features, and expand the group as well as its reach. “Purely on a figures foundation, one-fifth worldwide is Muslim,” claims Younas. “On top of this, we estimate there are about 400 million Muslims that are solitary and qualified. We glance at that, and we’ve not really produced dent.”

The start-up has today announced the close of a big Series A funding round for $7m to help Muzmatch in its mission. Investors included respected Silicon Valley-based accelerator Y Combinator – Younas participated into the programme back 2017 – also as Luxor Capital.

“Shahzad has demonstrably made a thing that individuals want,” claims Tim Brady, somebody at Y Combinator. “He is really a founder that is resourceful was hearing their users as well as in the method is promoting an excellent solution for the Muslim community, in a fashion that https://prettybrides.net/ main-stream organizations have neglected to do.”

Beyond bringing individuals together, Younas additionally would like to alter attitudes into the Muslim world in order for marriage is approached in a modern method. “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 move to make,” he states. “I always think Muslims are five years behind the conventional, specially when it comes down to technology. Now it is time in order for them to get up.”