Feeld, the dating app known for catering to open relationships and kink enthusiasts, has reported a significant jump in profits as it attracts a growing number of 'vanilla' users. According to accounts filed at Companies House, sales rose by 26% to £48.9 million in 2024, driven by expansion outside the UK, where the app was founded.
The increase in revenue, though slower than the previous year's doubling, helped the company achieve a pre-tax profit of £9.3 million, up from £6 million in 2023. This growth came despite rising costs from increased marketing activity.
Feeld was founded in 2014 by Dimo Trifonov and Ana Kirova, who were living in London at the time. The app originally launched as 3nder but rebranded after legal threats from Tinder. It has since become a platform for people seeking non-monogamous relationships, fetishists, and those with alternative gender identities.
As traditional dating apps see a decline in users, Feeld has continued to grow, attracting individuals outside its original market. However, Kirova acknowledged the challenge of integrating new users with more conventional tastes, known as 'vanilla' in the kink community, with the app's longstanding user base.
The rising popularity of Feeld among monogamous singles has proven lucrative for the founders. The accounts show that Feeld paid a dividend of £600,000 last year, with the majority going to Kirova and Trifonov, who together own more than 50% of the company.
Kirova, who became CEO in April 2021, has led a rebranding and technology upgrade, though the latter was initially beset with glitches. Last year, cybersecurity experts exposed security vulnerabilities that could have allowed sensitive user data to be accessed or edited.
