Jonas@jonaswillett1
The IRL connection economy is a $400B+ market.
And companies are racing to own it.
In the last 6 months, $800M+ in capital was deployed on "IRL" bets.
@Tinder invested $60M into a new Events feature for connecting matches in-person. They're pivoting to IRL and offering experiences such as speakeasies, raves, and pottery classes.
@222place: raised a $10.1M Series A to curate blind social experiences for Gen Z. Personality-matched groups sent to hyperlocal nightlife events.
@JagermeisterUSA launched BestNightsVC - the only venture fund in the world dedicated solely to nightlife and IRL connection. 16 portfolio companies across 4 continents.
@timeleft: dinner with 5 strangers, every Wednesday. €18M ARR. 6,500 dinners/week across 200+ cities.
Dion: members-only social app where the first move is buying someone a real drink, redeemed IRL. 10K members, 30K+ on the waitlist founded by @revekkapal.
Pie: Bonobos founder @dunn built an IRL friendship app. $24M raised. 130K+ MAU.
@weroad_official: group trips for 20-30 year olds who don't know each other beforehand. $150M valuation.
Matchbox: is an algorithm-powered matching platform for IRL events and has powered over 100,000 connections. founded by @liamjmcgregor (prev @MarriagePact)
New dating apps like Known @Celesteamadon, Cerca @MylesCerca, and Ditto @AllenWangzian are aiming to improve connection amongst young people.
Billion-dollar companies are paying $$$ for community and events leads:
- @AnthropicAI: Marketing Events Manager ($255k)
- @tryramp: Community Manager ($223k)
- @tryramp: Events & Culture Manager ($181k)
- @duolingo: Senior Community Manager ($193k)
- @NotionHQ: Community Programs Lead
Everyone knows the more time we spend online, the more valuable real-life connection becomes.
The question isn't whether IRL wins.
It's who facilitates it best.
