Dating app Paktor raises $3.3m Series A funding

Paktor profile homepage on a mobile

By Team DealStreetAsia

November 18, 2014

Paktor, which has been referred to as Southeast Asia’s Tinder, has just closed its Series A investment round, bringing the total amount raised to over US$5 million in the last 12 months, said the company.

The Series-A investment was led by Vertex Venture Holdings, an investor in GrabTaxi and Reebonz, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore’s Temasek Holdings. Though not officialy disclosed, the finance raised from Vertex is estimated to be around $3.3 million, making it the largest funding ever received by a Southeast Asian startup in the mobile dating industry.

The funds will be used to expand Paktor’s services into new territories like Malaysia, increase product offerings such as offline events and premium personal services, and to launch a desktop version of the app, said the company.

Paktor, which was launched in 2013, has 1.5 million registered users, making it 20 times larger than the nearest regional competitor. The next market Paktor will officially launch will be Malaysia, which is slated to be in the first quarter of 2015.

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In Singapore, we are looking to double our reporting team by this year-end to comprehensively cover the fast-moving world of funded startups and VC, PE & M&A deals. We want reporters who can tell our readers what is really happening in these sectors and why it matters to markets, companies and consumers. The ability to write precisely and urgently is crucial for these roles. Ideal candidates must have to ability to work in a collaborative, dynamic, and fast-changing environment. We want our new hires to be digitally savvy and ready to experiment with new forms of storytelling. Most importantly, we are looking for hard-hitting reporters who work well in a team. Collaboration and collegiality are a must.

Following vacancies can be applied for (only in Singapore).

Following vacancies can be applied for (only in Singapore).   

  • A reporter to track companies/startups that have raised private capital, and have the potential to become unicorns. SEA currently has over 40 companies with a valuation of over $100 million and under $1 billion.
  • A reporter who can get behind the scenes and reveal how funding rounds are put together, or why they’ve failed to materialise. She/he in this role will largely focus on long-format stories. 
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