Skout refocused its app on flirting and dating and has since achieved tens of millions of downloads. The product monetizes primarily through in-app purchases (points for virtual gifts, profile-view features and "wink bombs"), offers a paid ad-free app, and its leadership envisions local advertising as an additional revenue stream. The app shows strong engagement—about 300 million messages per month, roughly 1 million signups per month, with the average user checking in eight to nine times daily and spending about 45 minutes chatting. Founded in 2007 by Christian Wiklund and Niklas Lindstrom, the company grew from a three-person skeleton crew to a headcount of about 50 (including contractors). Skout crossed into profitability for four to five months over the past year but is intentionally dipping back into the red to prioritize growth. The company places heavy emphasis on community management (banning more than 40,000 devices per month) and plans to expand into a new office sized for 120 employees.

Total raised

$22M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Apr 2012