Bumble posts upbeat quarterly revenue as platform overhaul targets Gen Z

May 5 (Reuters) – Bumble on Tuesday posted first-quarter revenue above estimates as the online dating platform’s strategy to win back younger users starts to bear fruit.

The company posted revenue of $212.4 million, above analysts’ estimates of $211.4 million, according to data compiled by LSEG.

• Online dating platforms are grappling with slowing growth and waning engagement, particularly among Gen Z users who have grown tired of endless swiping and disappointed by the quality of matches.

• Total Paying Users decreased 21.1% to 3.2 million, compared with 4 million, a year ago.

• “We’re now focused on activating this higher-quality member base by launching a fully reimagined Bumble experience on our rebuilt, AI-enabled platform later this year,” said Whitney Wolfe Herd, Founder & CEO of Bumble.

• Bumble, which has long marketed itself as a female-first alternative in the crowded dating market, is experimenting with tweaks to its core product to make the dating experience feel more curated and less transactional.

• Rivals including Match Group’s Tinder and Hinge have stepped up the rollout of artificial intelligence-powered features, including personalized prompts and in-app assistants.

• Analysts are closely monitoring the sector for whether product innovation and pricing adjustments can stabilize paying user bases after prolonged sector-wide pressure.

• Bumble’s total average revenue per paying user for the reported quarter increased 8.9% to $22.04.

• For the second quarter, the company expects revenue in the range of $205 million to $213 million, compared with analysts’ estimates of $215 million.

(Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed)