Matchmaking site Teamo.ru has taken full ownership of its main competitor, Monamour.ru, gaining undisputed leadership of this market segment in Russia. The transaction, which took place in December, was confirmed to East-West Digital News by Teamo Managing Director Vladimir Schmidt.
Schmidt said it was a cash transaction, but declined to disclose further financial information.
Unlike traditional online dating services, matchmaking sites offer comprehensive personality and compatibility tests to highlight potential affinities among users and foster serious relationships. The concept has been developed in the West by such players as eHarmony.com in the US and Meetic’s Affinity in Europe.
Monamour.ru, the first mover in this segment, was launched by Russian dating giant Mamba.ru in 2008. Teamo.ru was established in late 2010 by Fastlane Ventures, a Moscow-based serial startup developer and one of the largest investor on the local Internet scene. In early 2012 the site secured an investment from UMJ Russia, a Japanese venture fund operating in Russia.
The two services will be merged progressively under Teamo’s model and brand. Their combined databases now comprise 5.5 million registered users, including 600,000 active users on a monthly basis – approximately 300,000 from each site. Schmidt did not disclose the number of paid subscribers.
A more qualitative approach to marketing
The company hopes to reach the level of one million active users per month by the end of 2013. In addition to SEM, SEO, mailings, partnership programs and other online channels Teamo is using as standard marketing instruments, television will also be tested this year. “This channel ensures strong coverage across Russia and neighboring countries, for branding purposes as well as in a commercial perspective,” Schmidt noted.
While conceding that at the outset Teamo’s marketing campaigns pursued mainly quantitative goals, Schmidt said that a more qualitative approach has since brought tangible results – starting with a more active user base.
Subscription fees range from 790 rubles ($26) for a single month to 1,800 rubles ($60) per year. The site offers a variety of payment methods, with mobile payments and bank cards proving the most popular.
A pioneer in this field in Russia, Teamo is experimenting with recurring payment procedures. To date one in ten Teamo customers paying by card has been enrolled under a recurring subscription plan, while recurring payments through mobile accounts have also been tested.
“We are aiming to universalize the recurring approach across various payment means,” Schmidt said, referring to plans now underway in partnership with Alfa Bank for bank cards and mobile operators for mobile payments.
