Shahzad Younas’s Muslim app that is dating 15,000 partners meet to get married. He tells Amelia Heathman about contemporary love
The expression goes: ‘Muslims don’t date, we marry’,” says Shahzad Younas, creator and CEO of this Muslim matching software Muzmatch. “It’s a phrase that is generalised it strikes the nail in the mind. If I’m fulfilling a lady, we’re both reasoning, is this individual wedding product?”
Muzmatch can be dubbed the Muslim Tinder but Younas just isn’t therefore satisfied with the contrast. It utilizes some typical structures that are dating-app such as for example swipes and likes, but alternatively of centering on casual hook-ups it’s all about helping Muslims find you to definitely marry.
Numerous Muslims are required to marry young also to some body for the same faith. Choices consist of using a matchmaker, which computer technology graduate Younas defines as “like getting your CV passed around” to get a partner that is appropriate. Therefore it ended up being back 2014, after hearing their buddies swap tales about dating battles, he chose to produce an christian mingle success rate software that will make the dating process more “halal” — acceptable in religious legislation.
Younas quit their job as a good investment banker and invested half a year working days that are 18-hour produce Muzmatch in the bed room. 6 months after starting, 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 happened to be like, OK, this genuinely is real,” he said. The outcome talk on their own: Muzmatch has several . 5 million people plus some 15,000 partners ‘ve got hitched after fulfilling onto it.
It produced title for itself outside of the Muslim community because of an advertisement campaign that went regarding the Tube this past year featuring Lionel Richie singing: “Halal, can it be me you’re looking for?” with regards to rivals, the application ranks greater for downloads compared to other religious-focused matching apps including JSwipe (Jewish) and Salt (Christian), in accordance with analytics company App Annie, so it’s no wonder the major relationship organizations came knocking.
Younas won’t mention who, but claims they have been turned by him straight down everytime. “We’re for a objective to change how Muslims across the world think about marriage, and acquire married.”
Plenty of work switches into making sure Muzmatch is a space that is safe Muslims to talk and satisfy on the web. In 2016, the working platform introduced selfie verification to make certain every person in the application is whom they state these are typically. The organization has a united team in Bangladesh which, alongside its HQ in Aldgate, manually moderates every profile.
Other privacy features are embedded. Users can request a chaperone show up in conversations in the app, such as for example a relative, as per an Islamic principle that after unmarried gents and ladies chat a 3rd party should show up. Users also can make sure they’ve no profile image on the account or details such as for example their complete name, so they could be as personal online as you possibly can. “It’s about comprehending that Muslims are incredibly diverse so we don’t wish to force individuals down a specific road. We should function as safe area and offer top-level privacy to the users,” says Younas.
Security is vital for other reasons. “We get lots of EDL kinds and people that are right-wing that you great deal of abuse — putting up Bin Laden photos and all sorts of that types of stuff,” claims Younas. “The positive thing is they get spotted quickly and removed so we can block those users in a permanent means.” In the upside, Muzmatch comes with non-Muslims registering as they are interested in the faith, such the man that is 50-plus changed into Islam after fulfilling somebody from the software. “The peoples tales are quite touching. 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.”
So what’s next? The start-up has accomplished profitability by way of its premium paid-for tier nevertheless the next phase is to carry on to enhance the app and its own features, and expand the group and its own reach. “Purely for a numbers basis, one-fifth around the globe is Muslim,” claims Younas. “On top of the, we estimate there are about 400 million Muslims who’re solitary and qualified. We have a look at that, and we’ve not really produced dent.”
To greatly help Muzmatch in its objective, the start-up has now announced the close of a large show A funding round for $7m. Investors included respected Silicon Valley-based accelerator Y Combinator – Younas participated within the programme back 2017 – also as Luxor Capital.
“Shahzad has demonstrably made a thing that individuals want,” states Tim Brady, someone at Y Combinator. “He is really a founder that is resourceful happens to be hearing their users as well as in the method is rolling out a great solution for the Muslim community, in a manner that conventional organizations have did not do.”
Beyond bringing individuals together, Younas additionally really wants to alter attitudes when you look at the Muslim world to ensure marriage is approached in a contemporary means. “My vision is the fact that whenever Muslims across the world think of engaged and getting married Muzmatch pops into the mind — and it feels as though an evident, non-taboo action to take,” he states. “I always think Muslims are five years behind the main-stream, particularly when it comes down to tech. Now it is time to allow them to get up.”
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