NEW YORK, March 08, 2010
/24-7PressRelease/ -- The dating site Smartdate (www.smartdate.com) announced that it has secured $2.2 million in seed funding to launch its Facebook-connected online dating site.
The Europe-based venture fund 360 Capital Partners has signed on as lead investor in Smartdate, citing the company's management experience and innovative approach to online dating as the reasons for its investment.
Smartdate had previously secured Angel investment from four international Business Angels for a total of $400,000.
Francois Tison and Emanuele Levi, partners at 360 Capital, said the way in which Smartdate leveraged the power of Facebook to revolutionize the online dating experience made it an attractive addition to his investment portfolio.
"We strongly believe that online dating is ripe for disruption, and Smartdate has the right vision and execution capability to become a leading player in the next few years," said Tison.
Fabrice le Parc, founder & CEO of Smartdate, said, "I am thrilled to have had the chance to find financial partners with acute vista on our business, and who are great individuals with whom I am sure to entertain a close personal relationship beyond the business - which was definitely a key element to me. It's not just a business deal to me, but a true human adventure."
After only a couple of months of product development led by industry experts, Smartdate has launched an Alpha version of the product.
About Fabrice Le Parc - Smartdate Founder & CEO
Before becoming a figure of European online dating, Fabrice Le Parc graduated from leading European Business School HEC Paris in 1999, and worked in various start-ups.
He decided in 2003 to take part in two reality dating shows for the fun of it: Operation Seduction on M6 in France and The Bachelorette on ABC in the US.
Fabrice Le Parc launched be2 in France and Benelux in 2006-07. Within two years, be2 became the second largest dating site in those markets with over 18 million registered users.
His main drive is to change the way people interact and he was naturally driven to setting up innovative online dating companies.
About Smartdate (www.smartdate.com)
Founded on Jan. 1, 2010, Smartdate is the first online dating site with full Facebook connectivity. Smartdate offers its users a more authentic experience of online dating. Based in Paris, Smartdate is already available in six languages: French, English, German, Italian, Dutch and Spanish.
About 360° Capital Partners
360° Capital Partners (www.360capitalpartners.com) is a European venture capital firm investing in innovative and high growth projects/companies mainly in Italy and France. With more than EUR100 million under management, the fund operates through its offices in Milan and Paris and is managed by an experienced team with more than 50 years of experience in the industry and with more than 60 venture capital investments realised in nine different countries.
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