Maybe it’s the fact that Valentine’s Day is around the corner, or maybe people have just fully embraced the fact that everything happens online now.

Also, maybe romance is dead, and we really do find partners now by hooking up and hoping for the best.

Whatever the reason, more people than ever are using Tinder.

According to BusinessTech, Tinder has seen a 17% surge in total average subscribers in the last quarter for parent company Match Group Inc.

The company projected revenue of $455 million to $465 million, lower than the $470 million average estimate. Match also announced it acquired all of the remaining shares in Hinge – adding yet another digital courtship site to its belt.

Revenue in the three months ended Dec. 31 increased 21% to $457 million. Analysts had forecast $449 million. Adjusted earnings per share was 39 cents, beating the average estimate of 38 cents. The shares jumped 11% in extended trading. They ended the day down 4.7% to $53.08.

With 233 000 new subscribers in the fourth quarter alone, Tinder is describing this as “the best year in our history for shareholders”.

This growth is in part due to international expansion. Tinder is now available in 190 countries and 46 languages.

Aside from Tinder, Match also runs subscription-based online dating sites OKCupid, Plenty of Fish, Hinge and dozens of others. Users pay a premium for more services that allow them to see who is interested in them or to ‘super like’ a potential romantic partner. Last year, Match acquired a controlling stake in Hinge, which marketed itself as the anti-Tinder dating app.

If you care – while Tinder is commonly considered a hookup app, Hinge claims to cater to Millennials who are looking for a more serious relationship…

…but it will inevitably become a hookup app.

Watch this space.

[source:businesstech]