Jigsaw

What Jigsaw does

Jigsaw Dating Limited is a UK-incorporated, privately held dating platform that combines a mobile app (iOS and Android) with a network of in-person singles events across multiple US cities. Founded in 2016 by childhood friends Alex Durrant (CEO) and Max Adamski (CPO), the company targets relationship-minded adults aged 25-55 who are disillusioned with swipe-based dating apps. Its core products are curated event formats — Singles Happy Hours, Coffee Shop Speed Dating, Singles Trivia Night, and Singles Sip & Paint — operated with a guaranteed minimum 70/30 gender ratio and staffed by certified Jigsaw Dating Hosts at partner venues.

The technology stack centers on a mobile-first companion app that handles event ticketing, identity verification (via Yoti liveness detection), Match Code scanning for post-event mutual-consent connections, and optional in-app messaging. Identity verification is one-time and carries across all future events, and the platform is explicitly positioned as AI-free in its matching logic. Supporting infrastructure includes Google Cloud and AWS for biometric image processing (used solely for the puzzle-face profile feature) and standard mobile distribution via Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Two US patents (10,887,270 and 11,483,276) cover the puzzle-face technology.

Jigsaw's business model is a hybrid of transactional event ticketing (primary) and an optional monthly membership subscription that unlocks unlimited free event access, pre-event attendee visibility, VIP perks, and Missed Connections messaging. The app is free to download and non-member tickets are non-refundable, anchoring monetization on per-event revenue. Marketing is organic and content-led, leveraging Instagram, the company blog, influencer partnerships, success-story testimonials, and earned media including a February 2025 BBC News feature. The company is bootstrapped plus a single $3.76M funding round in February 2021 led by The Relationship, with a 1-10 person team.

Name

Jigsaw

Legal name

Jigsaw Dating Limited

Website

https://jigsaw.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jigsaw Dating operates a US-focused in-person singles events business paired with a mobile app, targeting relationship-minded adults aged 25-55 who reject swipe-based dating. The platform uses Yoti identity verification and a Match Code feature, monetizing primarily through event tickets and an optional membership subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dating Services

NAICS

Amusement Arcades (71312)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Dating & Relationship Networking (MPACAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dating & Relationship Networks (BPAMABAF)

Keywords

• Singles event platform
• In-person dating events
• Mobile dating app
• Speed dating events
• Verified member community

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Ticket Sales: The primary revenue stream. Users purchase tickets to attend in-person singles events (e.g., Singles Happy Hours, Coffee Shop Speed Dating, Singles Trivia Night, Singles Sip & Paint). Tickets are non-refundable after purchase. Members receive rescheduling privileges for future events.
2. Optional Membership Subscription: An optional paid membership unlocks premium features including unlimited free event access, the ability to see who is attending events and the gender split before purchasing, VIP perks, and Missed Connections (matching and messaging with anyone from a past event in-app). The app and basic event tools are free without membership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Jigsaw operates a curated in-person (IRL) singles events platform combined with a mobile dating app (iOS and Android) for relationship-minded adults aged 25-55. Users purchase tickets to hosted events such as Singles Happy Hours, Coffee Shop Speed Dating, Singles Trivia Night, and Singles Sip & Paint, then use the app for identity verification, event access, and post-event connections via the proprietary Match Code scanning feature. Revenue is generated primarily from event ticket sales and an optional paid membership with premium features including unlimited event access and Missed Connections messaging.

Product overview

Jigsaw operates as an IRL (In Real Life) dating platform combining in-person singles events with a mobile app companion. The core offering includes Singles Happy Hours, Coffee Shop Speed Dating, Singles Sip & Paint, and Singles Trivia Night events for adults aged 25-55, managed with a guaranteed minimum 70/30 gender split. The Jigsaw Dating App serves as the essential companion, providing event ticketing, identity verification powered by Yoti, Match Code for contact-free post-event matching, and optional membership features. The platform explicitly differentiates itself from swipe-based dating apps by rejecting AI involvement in the matching process, instead relying on in-person events and human-hosted formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jigsaw Dating App
• Singles Events (Happy Hours, Speed Dating, Trivia, Sip & Paint) Curated in-person singles events for adults aged 25-55 (all attendees 21+), featuring managed gender ratios (minimum 70/30 split), certified Jigsaw Dating Hosts, and structured formats such as Singles Happy Hours, Coffee Shop Speed Dating, Singles Trivia Night, and Singles Sip & Paint, designed to facilitate real connections between attendees seeking relationships.
• Jigsaw Membership Optional paid monthly subscription offering unlimited free event access, the ability to see who is attending events and the gender split before purchasing tickets, VIP perks, event rescheduling privileges, and Missed Connections in-app messaging with anyone from a past event.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89.3% of single Americans prefer meeting their future partner in real life first, validating Jigsaw's IRL-first positioning
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Yoti (Yoti USA Inc / Yoti Limited)coreTechnology or IntegrationYOTI provides identity verification services for Jigsaw, using liveness detection and facial recognition to confirm users are real and over 18. YOTI processes and stores all biometric data; Jigsaw does not retain personal identity documents. For US users, YOTI USA Inc handles verification; for non-US users, Yoti Limited handles it. YOTI deletes selfies immediately after liveness detection completes.
• Google CloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Cloud is used for biometric data processing — specifically for placing puzzles on users' faces in their profile images. Data is transferred directly to Google Cloud and not stored by Jigsaw.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationAWS is used alongside Google Cloud for biometric data processing (facial image manipulation for profile photos). AWS processes data directly; Jigsaw does not store the biometric data.
• Social Media Influencers (@Holisticallygrace, @findingmrheight, @retr0avocado)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerJigsaw partners with social media influencers and dating coaches to reach relationship-minded singles. These partners bring unique skill sets, each suited to different member needs, and help expose Jigsaw to new audiences.
• Venue PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJigsaw partners with local venues (bars, coffee shops, activity spaces) across US cities to host singles events. Venues provide the physical space and atmosphere; Jigsaw provides the branded event format, host, verified guest list, and attendee flow. Venues benefit from exposure to Jigsaw's engaged member base.
• Conversion Squared CorporationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerA user referral partner that directs new users to the Jigsaw app, providing identity and contact data for new user acquisition.
• Apple App StorecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJigsaw's iOS app is distributed through the Apple App Store, where it has achieved a 4.3-4.4 star rating with thousands of reviews. Apple provides the app store infrastructure for distribution and in-app purchase handling.
• Google Play StorecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJigsaw's Android app is distributed through the Google Play Store. Google handles app distribution, update delivery, and in-app purchase processing for Android users.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bumble: Bumble is a major dating app where women message first, also expanding into IRL connections and friend-finding. It's a broad incumbent that overlaps with Jigsaw's dating audience and increasingly competes for users seeking alternatives to swipe fatigue.
• Hinge: Hinge positions itself as a relationship-focused dating app designed to be deleted. As a Match Group property, it is one of the largest competitors in the relationship-intent dating space that Jigsaw also targets with its 25-55, relationship-minded segment.
• Tinder: Tinder is the largest mainstream swipe-based dating app and the dominant incumbent whose user-fatigue problem Jigsaw explicitly positions against. It serves the same broad dating market but with a fundamentally different mechanic.
• Match Group: Match Group owns Tinder, Hinge, Match.com, and many other dating apps and has begun experimenting with IRL dating experiences. As the dominant industry consolidator, it represents both the primary competitive threat and a potential strategic acquirer for Jigsaw.

Direct peers

• Thursday: Thursday is a dating app that is only active on Thursdays and pairs the app with real-world singles events. It directly mirrors Jigsaw's hybrid app + IRL event model for relationship-minded singles tired of constant swiping.
• Breeze: Breeze is a dating app explicitly designed to reduce app fatigue, mentioned alongside Jigsaw in BBC News coverage as a leading swipe-fatigue alternative. It targets the same anti-swipe, Gen Z/millennial dating audience as Jigsaw.
• Inner Circle: Inner Circle is a curated, members-only dating app that combines selective profile vetting with hosted IRL singles events in major cities. It is one of the closest comparables to Jigsaw's verified-community plus IRL-events hybrid model.
• Coffee Meets Bagel: Coffee Meets Bagel is a relationship-focused dating app that curates limited daily matches for users seeking serious relationships. It targets the same relationship-minded user base as Jigsaw with a curated, quality-over-quantity approach.

Emerging players

• Ship: Ship is a Match Group-backed dating app that lets friends swipe on behalf of single users, blending social curation with dating. It addresses swipe fatigue through a social layer and overlaps with Jigsaw's audience seeking more curated, less algorithmic matching.

Regional players

• Slow Dating: Slow Dating is a UK-based speed dating and singles events company offering curated in-person dating experiences. It is a direct IRL-events competitor, though primarily operating in the UK rather than the US where Jigsaw concentrates its events.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jigsawthedatingapp
• Instagraminstagram.com/jigsaw.dating
• Xx.com/jigsawdating_

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jigsaw