Today, we present the most polarizing and least polarizing new apps you'll read about all week. Truth Social, former Pres...
Problem
Relationships are in trouble
—
Today’s relationships start online... but what happens next?
- Almost 40% of heterosexual and 65% of same-sex couples meet online
- 74% of Tinder daters had at least one committed relationship as an adult that was long-term, compared to 49% of those who prefer to date offline
- After a couple starts dating, the platform that matched them becomes irrelevant
—
What is there for couples
after they delete their dating apps?
—
Solution
Dating apps made it easier to find someone
We are here to make it easier to keep them
Official is here to help anyone be a better partner, and to let couples grow together instead of apart.
Official helps couples address
common relationship challenges
Challenge: Complacency sets in and couples fall into a routine, but people crave surprises.
Official Solution: Discover and explore new activities together.
—
Challenge: Emotions can cloud judgment and make it challenging to be rational.
Official Solution: Relationship check-ins help individuals identify their feelings and keep couples on the same page.
—
Challenge: People aren’t taught how to be a good partner and they don’t have the tools to navigate through the different stages of a relationship.
Official Solution: Provide a dedicated space to help couples learn and establish healthy relationship habits.
Product
Welcome to Official
—
We started with the belief that everyone should be able to go on the best dates, but we didn't stop there.
First: We focused on creating better date nights
Then: We expanded Into emotional Intimacy
Now: We are spicing things up with an intimacy section
Redefining what it means to date
With Official, Couples can track the progression of their relationship and remember the little things that matter most.
Gamify healthy activities, build strong relationships
Traction
Not to brag, but Official...
- Reached #5 on The App Store's lifestyle chart (ahead of Bumble and Amazon's Alexa)
- Users have swiped on over 1 million date ideas
- Has gone viral on TikTok multiple times
101,031
downloads during our Beta (Feb '21) & MVP (July '21)
We learned what users wanted but made the mistake of launching too early. This validated our ideas but left us with some unhappy users. We worked on ourselves for a bit, and now we are ready to win our users back.
Customers
How many couples
do you know?
We know quite a few.
Official is designed for any couple that wants to have more fun in their relationship.
—
It's not lame to want more out of your relationship
A majority of Official users are a part of Gen Z
—
Gen Z is conditioned to use their smartphones as a tool in all aspects of their lives—and their romantic relationships are no exception. As Gen Z ages and enters serious relationships, phone apps will become critical to their relationships' success.Official user breakdown by generation, as of December 19, 2021
Business model
A multipronged
business model
Capturing revenue from a variety of sources
—
Now: Affiliate linked products and commission from reservations
Soon: Advertisements and sponsorships from date location and product providers
Future: Subscription for hyper-curated dates
Market
Attacking an incredibly profitable market
We will attack these markets by targeting Gen Z as they age and accelerate their spending in these spaces.
Competition
Tired: social media
Wired: relationship media
At its core, Official is a Relationship Media Company. We create a community of couples that want to share their dates and ideas with those around them.
Our competitors only focus on the couple and fail to address the impact that a couple's community can have on their relationship. We believe this is a critical flaw to achieve scale.
By aligning Official as a social platform while incorporating tools to promote healthy relationships, we are creating a user-focused Relationship Media Company.
—
Competitors
Vision and strategy
Big Picture
Couples are just the beginning
For now, Official is focused on couples. However, we know that romantic relationships are not the only relationship in a person's life that could use a bit of help. Once Official has established a solid community of couples, the expansion will begin into familial relationships and friendships.
Future features
Couple's Wallet
On January 21, 2022, Official received a $50K grant to integrate NEAR protocol into the app. After transitioning the existing Smart Contracts to NEAR, Official will start to build a digital wallet for couples to commingle their assets.
Couples Near You
After COVID subsides, Official wants to encourage couples to engage with their community IRL. Yes, this means double dates!
Leaderboard
To add to the social elements and gamification on Official, we will build a leaderboard for couples to compete against each other. Whichever couple earns the most points by using Official will sit at the top!
Use of funds
Funding
Why you should invest in Official
Other notable investors
GFC - Global Founder's Capital
GFC is a globally oriented, stage agnostic venture fund that empowers gifted entrepreneurs.
Gaingels - Private Investment Syndicate
One of the largest and most active private investors dedicated to supporting diversity and inclusion within the venture capital ecosystem.
Mike Vorhaus - Notable Angel
Founded of Vorhaus Advisors. Vorhaus is a key player within the media and gaming space and helped strategize Official's launch.
Founders
Zac Stern
Founder & CEO
Prior to founding Official, Zac worked as an investment analyst and VC associate at $1B fund within NYC. He studied finance and business management at NYU's Stern School of Business.