MadCool Network
MadCool Network LLC is a bootstrapped, founder-operated New York-based network of niche websites spanning Asian entertainment content, multiple freemium dating verticals, Asian-product e-commerce, and webmaster services including a proprietary PHP dating software product, monetized through advertising, memberships, retail sales, and software licensing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What MadCool Network does
MadCool Network LLC is a privately held, bootstrapped operator of a network of niche consumer websites founded in 1998 by Ben Li and headquartered in Soho, New York City. The portfolio spans three business pillars: (i) Asian entertainment and cultural content led by AsiaFinest.com (forum with 4M+ postings, 100K members, celebrity interviews), with adjacent properties 4idols.com and MadCool.com; (ii) a constellation of freemium online dating sites targeting specific demographics — CupidContact.com (general adult), AsianAffection.com, EbonyHookUps.com, GALDS.com (gay/lesbian), and the FairyTaleDating.com joint venture — all built on the company's proprietary PHP dating platform; and (iii) Asian-product e-commerce via KKDiscount.com (New York Magazine 'Best Shopping Website' winner) plus the webmaster-resource hub 123Designing.com, which also resells the dating software to third parties. The company also operates ProPokerGuide.com, a free poker content and forum site.
The underlying technology is a PHP-based web platform with conventional e-commerce, forum, and content-management components; the proprietary dating software package includes audio/video greetings, webcam integration, instant messenger, friend-recommendation features, and a two-tier private-label affiliate system, and is resold externally. Revenue is generated through four independent streams: fixed-rate display advertising sold via a commission-only work-from-home sales force (30% commission), retail and wholesale e-commerce on KKDiscount.com, freemium dating memberships (pay-per-profile and unlimited monthly tiers) plus dating-software affiliate revenue, and licensing of the PHP dating software itself. Customer segments are fragmented across four personas — Asian entertainment consumers, Asian product shoppers, online daters across niche demographics, and brand advertisers seeking targeted inventory.
The company is founder-controlled, has no disclosed institutional investment or funding rounds, and operates with 11-50 employees. Its customer base for advertising is long-tail SMB; enterprise promotional relationships with Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures have supported exclusive content features but do not appear to constitute recurring revenue contracts.
MadCool Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MadCool Network
- Legal name
- MadCool Network LLC
- Website
- https://madcoolnetwork.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MadCool Network LLC is a bootstrapped, founder-operated New York-based network of niche websites spanning Asian entertainment content, multiple freemium dating verticals, Asian-product e-commerce, and webmaster services including a proprietary PHP dating software product, monetized through advertising, memberships, retail sales, and software licensing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MadCool Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Niche Online Dating and Entertainment Network
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dating & Relationship Networks (BPAMABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms (BPAMAGAH), Affiliate Marketing & Partner Networks (BPAMALAI)
Keywords
Where MadCool Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
MadCool Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Online Advertising: Banner advertisements of various sizes, site listings, sponsorships, and network-wide advertising. The network serves millions of page views monthly, offering fixed-rate advertising to prevent click fraud.
- E-commerce Sales: Retail and wholesale sales of Asian products through KKDiscount.com. Currently features 100+ Asian products with plans to expand to thousands from retail store inventory.
- Advertising Sales Commission: Commission-based sales force with 30% flat commission rate paid monthly to sales associates who sell advertising across the network.
- Dating Site Memberships: Freemium dating model with pay-per-profile option for one-time contacts and unlimited monthly membership for active users. Includes affiliate program with two-tier lifetime commission system.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Fixed-rate advertising packages |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Pay-per-profile dating option |
| Subscription | Monthly | Unlimited monthly membership |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
MadCool Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MadCool Network operates a portfolio of niche websites spanning online dating platforms (CupidContact, AsianAffection, EbonyHookUps, GALDS, FairyTaleDating), Asian entertainment destinations (AsiaFinest, 4idols, MadCool), e-commerce for Asian products (KKDiscount), and webmaster services (123Designing). The company generates revenue through online advertising sales across the network, freemium dating membership subscriptions, e-commerce product sales, and licensing of its proprietary PHP dating software.
Product overview
MadCool Network is a network of popular E-commerce and entertainment web sites headquartered in SoHo, New York. The company operates multiple distinct web properties spanning entertainment destinations (AsiaFinest.com for Asian entertainment, MadCool.com for general entertainment, 4idols.com for celebrity content), online dating platforms (CupidContact.com, AsianAffection.com, EbonyHookUps.com, GALDS.com), e-commerce (KKDiscount.com for Asian products), and web services (123Designing.com for webmaster resources including PHP dating software). The portfolio also includes niche sites like ProPokerGuide.com for poker information and FairyTaleDating.com as a partnership venture. All sites aim to connect people worldwide with shared interests, with the company motto 'Connecting the World with MadCool Network.'
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AsiaFinest.com
Companies that use MadCool Network
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
MadCool Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
MadCool Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Hiltz Squared Media GroupminorJoint venture to launch FairyTaleDating.com, combining GALDS.com's dating platform with Hiltz Squared Media Group's Fairy Tale TV series brand, creating a dating site for the TV show's gay and lesbian audience.
- Vietshowbiz.comminorAsianAffection.com partnered with Vietshowbiz.com to create a private label dating site targeting the Vietnamese community, with joint network benefits from both platforms.
- Vietshowbiz.comminorPartnership with Vietnamese entertainment portal Vietshowbiz.com to create a co-branded dating site for Vietshowbiz members, expanding CupidContact's reach to the Vietnamese community.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
MadCool Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Namecheap: Domain registrar and web hosting services provider serving small-business and individual webmasters. Comparable to 123Designing.com's domain registration and webmaster-resource offerings, though at vastly greater scale.
- Match Group: Owner of Tinder, Hinge, Match.com, OkCupid, and numerous ethnic/niche dating properties (e.g., BLK, Chispa). Directly comparable as a multi-brand online dating network operator; vastly larger scale but overlapping business model with MadCool's CupidContact/AsianAffection/EbonyHookUps/GALDS portfolio.
- ShareASale: Large affiliate marketing network connecting merchants with publishers via commission-based referrals. Overlaps with MadCool's two-tier affiliate program on dating sites and the commission-based advertising sales model across the network.
Direct peers
- Soompi: Leading English-language Asian entertainment destination with news, celebrity interviews, forums, and large community engagement. Directly comparable to AsiaFinest.com in audience, content verticals, and forum-driven community model.
- CardsChat: Free online poker information, strategy, and community site with forums and site reviews. Closely comparable to ProPokerGuide.com on poker content, forum-driven community, and advertising-supported information model.
- Grindr: Largest LGBTQ+ dating and social networking app globally. Overlaps directly with GALDS.com and FairyTaleDating.com on the gay/lesbian dating target audience and freemium monetization.
- allkpop: English-language K-pop and Asian entertainment news and community site with celebrity news, interviews, and forums. Closely comparable to AsiaFinest.com/4idols.com on content type, audience, and advertising-supported media model.
- Cupid Media: Operates a network of 30+ niche/ethnic dating sites (AsianDating, AfroIntroductions, etc.) on a shared platform, monetized via freemium subscriptions. Closely analogous to MadCool's dating portfolio in target segments, freemium economics, and multi-brand network strategy.
- YesStyle: Large online retailer specializing in Asian beauty, fashion, and lifestyle products to a global audience. Comparable to KKDiscount.com in Asian-product e-commerce niche, though YesStyle operates at materially larger catalog and fulfillment scale.
Regional players
- DramaFever: Was a leading U.S.-based streaming and content destination for Asian dramas and entertainment. Adjacent comparable to AsiaFinest.com in Asian-entertainment content focus for English-speaking audiences, though DramaFever emphasized streaming rather than editorial/community.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
MadCool Network social profiles
Digital presenceMadCool Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MadCool Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
MadCool Network subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries12 records
MadCool Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MadCool Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MadCool Network
What does MadCool Network do?
MadCool Network operates a portfolio of niche websites spanning online dating platforms (CupidContact, AsianAffection, EbonyHookUps, GALDS, FairyTaleDating), Asian entertainment destinations (AsiaFinest, 4idols, MadCool), e-commerce for Asian products (KKDiscount), and webmaster services (123Designing). The company generates revenue through online advertising sales across the network, freemium dating membership subscriptions, e-commerce product sales, and licensing of its proprietary PHP dating software.
Is MadCool Network a public or private company?
MadCool Network is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was MadCool Network founded?
MadCool Network was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MadCool Network based?
MadCool Network is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does MadCool Network make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Online Advertising is the primary driver. The others are E-commerce Sales, advertising Sales Commission and dating Site Memberships.
Who are MadCool Network's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Namecheap, Match Group and ShareASale. Direct peers are Soompi, CardsChat, Grindr, allkpop, Cupid Media and YesStyle. DramaFever is listed as a regional player.
Does MadCool Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for MadCool Network.
What industry is MadCool Network in?
MadCool Network's product category is Niche Online Dating and Entertainment Network. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMABAF, Dating & Relationship Networks, with a secondary code of BPAMAGAH, Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms. Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 5945.