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==History==
In 2011, founder and [[CEO]] Justin McLeod (alongside a team including [[Frances Haugen]]) founded a desktop service called Secret Agent [[Cupid]], which allowed users to connect to [[Facebook]] and list which of their friends they had crushes on.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/9/18297278/hinge-designed-to-be-deleted-dating-app-redesign| title= Hinge's redesign is all about wanting you to eventually delete the dating app| first=Ashley|last=Carman|work= [[The Verge]] |date=9 April 2019 |access-date=2020-02-20|archive-date=2020-02-20| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200220222052/https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/9/18297278/hinge-designed-to-be-deleted-dating-app-redesign|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.ft.com/content/960243ec-6a65-4879-bfe1-9afcb2c0c7b3 | title=Whistleblower accuses Facebook of misleading public and investors | last=Murphy |first=Hannah |date= October 4, 2021 | work= [[Financial Times]] |access-date=October 6, 2021 | archive-date=October 4, 2021 | archive-url= https://archive.today/20211004014247/https://www.ft.com/content/960243ec-6a65-4879-bfe1-9afcb2c0c7b3 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| last= Francis|first=Hannah|date=2015-03-27| title=Tired of Tinder? Hinge dating app founder Justin McLeod thinks he's discovered a new formula| url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/tired-of-tinder-hinge-dating-app-founder-justin-mcleod-thinks-hes-discovered-a-new-formula-20150326-1m859m.html|access-date=2021-10-05|website=The Sydney Morning Herald| language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Parker|first=Garret|date=2016-12-14|title=Justin McLeod: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Hinge CEO|url=https://moneyinc.com/justin-mcleod-10-things-didnt-know-hinge-ceo/|access-date=2021-10-05| work= Money Inc|language=en}}</ref> Throughout 2012, this became a mobile application called Hinge, which launched in February 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.businessinsider.com/meet-hinge-and-its-founder-justin-mcleod-2014-10 |title=A Dying Dating App Blew Its Last $25,000 On A Hail Mary — Now It's On Fire, Giving Tinder A Run For Its Money |last=Shontell |first=Alyson |work= Business Insider |access-date= 2020-04-02 |archive-date=2020-05-16 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200516163802/https://www.businessinsider.com/meet-hinge-and-its-founder-justin-mcleod-2014-10 |url-status=live }}</ref> The application was designed to be less superficial than Tinder, forgoing Tinder-like swiping actions and branding itself as "the relationship app".<ref name="Dale Markowitz">{{cite news | url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soloish/wp/2017/09/29/hinges-ceo-says-vulnerability-not-an-algorithm-is-the-key-to-a-good-dating-app/ | title= Hinge's CEO says a good dating app relies on vulnerability, not algorithms | newspaper= [[The Washington Post]] | first= Dale | last= Markowitz | date= September 29, 2017 | access-date= April 1, 2018 | archive-date= May 23, 2018 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180523173336/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soloish/wp/2017/09/29/hinges-ceo-says-vulnerability-not-an-algorithm-is-the-key-to-a-good-dating-app/ | url-status= live }}</ref> Before Hinge gained enough users to sustain the business, the company nearly ran out of funding. When making the app, McLeod spent much of the remaining money on a launch party in [[Washington, D.C.]], which enabled the company to obtain the next round of funding, saving it from insolvency.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/hinge-a-party-to-save-the-dating-world.html |title=The Hail Mary Pass That Saved Hinge from Failure |last=Yakowicz |first=Will |date=2014-11-10 |website=Inc.com |access-date= 2020-04-02 |archive-date=2019-11-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103045656/https://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/hinge-a-party-to-save-the-dating-world.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.techvoid.com/2013/02/08/hinge-launch-party-debuts-dc-mobile-dating-app/ |title=Hinge launch party debuts DC mobile dating app on 1776 Campus |last=Hyrkas |first=Erik |date= 2013-02-08 |website=Tech Void |access-date=2020-04-02 |archive-date=2020-11-12 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201112021714/https://www.techvoid.com/2013/02/08/hinge-launch-party-debuts-dc-mobile-dating-app/ |url-status=live }}</ref> They sought to increase their user base through advertisement
Throughout 2017, Hinge received more mentions than any other dating app in the "Weddings" section of ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref>{{cite web| url= https://www.bustle.com/p/whats-the-best-dating-app-for-marriage-hinge-had-the-most-mentions-in-the-weddings-section-of-the-new-york-times-7633271|title=What's The Best Dating App For Marriage? Hinge Had The Most Mentions In The 'Weddings' Section Of The 'New York Times'|first=Natalia|last=Lusinski|website=Bustle|date=Dec 12, 2017|access-date=March 19, 2020|archive-date=March 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319205854/https://www.bustle.com/p/whats-the-best-dating-app-for-marriage-hinge-had-the-most-mentions-in-the-weddings-section-of-the-new-york-times-7633271|url-status=live}}</ref> Hinge Matchmaker was released in September 2017, claiming to reinvent online dating for "people that missed out on the dating app craze".<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/theodorecasey/2017/09/22/hinge-matchmaker-app-extends-online-dating-to-non-singles/ | title= Hinge Matchmaker Expands Online Dating Craze | first= Theo | last= Miller | work= [[Forbes.com]] | date= September 22, 2017 | access-date= April 1, 2018 | archive-date= April 1, 2018 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180401080211/https://www.forbes.com/sites/theodorecasey/2017/09/22/hinge-matchmaker-app-extends-online-dating-to-non-singles/ | url-status= live }}</ref> Match Group made investments in Hinge as early as September 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/match-group-expands-portfolio-with-dating-app-hinge-20180620-00972|title=Match Group Expands Portfolio With Dating App Hinge|date=June 20, 2018|website=[[Nasdaq]].com|access-date=June 23, 2018|archive-date=June 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624035732/https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/match-group-expands-portfolio-with-dating-app-hinge-20180620-00972|url-status=live}}</ref> In June 2018, Match Group acquired 51% ownership of Hinge,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/tech/2018/6/20/17485750/match-group-acquire-hinge-deal-online-dating|title=Tinder parent company buys anti-Tinder dating app Hinge|last=Carman|first=Ashley|date=June 20, 2018|work=[[The Verge]]|access-date=June 23, 2018|archive-date=June 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622013600/https://www.theverge.com/tech/2018/6/20/17485750/match-group-acquire-hinge-deal-online-dating|url-status=live}}</ref> with the right to acquire all remaining shares within a year,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chang |first=Lulu |date=June 22, 2018 |title=Tinder's parent company Match Group swipes right on Hinge |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/hinge-joins-match-group/ |work=Digital Trends |access-date=June 23, 2018 |archive-date=June 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624010603/https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/hinge-joins-match-group/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and came to own 100% of Hinge by the first quarter of 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=7 February 2019 |title=Match Group fully acquires relationship-focused app Hinge |url=http://social.techcrunch.com/2019/02/07/match-fully-acquires-relationship-focused-app-hinge/ |website=TechCrunch |access-date=2019-04-15 |archive-date=2021-07-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730211131/https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/07/match-fully-acquires-relationship-focused-app-hinge/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The purchase attracted some criticism from [[antitrust]] advocates, who see it as indicative of a larger trend toward monopolization in the technology industry.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tiffany |first1=Kaitlyn |title=Nearly all of the big dating apps are now owned by the same company |url= https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/2/11/18220425/hinge-explained-match-group-tinder-dating-apps |access-date=12 February 2022 |work= [[Vox.com]] |date=11 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1= Hartmans |first1= Avery |last2=Akhtar |first2= Allana |title=How Tinder and Hinge owner Match Group grew to dominate the country's online dating market — but let Bumble get away |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-match-group-history-of-tinder-parent-company-2021-1 |access-date= 12 February 2022 |work=Business Insider |date=3 February 2021}}</ref>
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