be2

The Company

Founded by Dr. Robert Wuttke, the matchmaking service be2 was launched in April 2004 with its German website www.be2.de. With a clear focus on internationalization, be2 introduced its service to other countries and today is represented in an impressive 36 countries on six continents. This makes be2 the largest online matchmaking service by unique visitors in Europe and the world’s fastest growing one (Nielsen Net Ratings, April 2008, ComScore March 2008).

be2’s management team of 8 boasts 70 years of collective experience in the online industry and in nurturing start-ups into profitable firms. It's wide-ranging expertise consists of top executive positions with Bertelsmann, Lycos, Time Warner, Scout 24 and management consulting companies such as Boston Consulting Group and Roland Berger. From the outset be2 has focused its activities on establishing an internationally structured organization. Today be2 employs 230 people from 43 nationalities with headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland and Grevenmacher, Luxembourg.

The Market

With sales of 243 million euros in 2006 (source: Jupiter Research), European dating and matchmaking services rank fourth among all Internet paid services after the “adult”, “gaming”, and “music” market segments. Market researchers predict annual growth rates of more than 30% annually for the matchmaking segment with European sales in this sector slated to rise to around 550 million euros by 2011. Global sales for the market topped 1 billion US dollars in 2007.

The Target Groups

The dating segment and the matchmaking segment target two different user needs. While dating services offer an autonomous database search which by nature puts an emphasis on external appearance and is predominantly entertainment-focused, matchmaking concentrates on introductions with the aspiration of creating fulfilling, long term relationships. Subtle differences between the two clienteles are also evident in age and user profiles. The dating segment is primarily the playing field of younger groups ranging from 18 to 40 who look to have fun both in searching and in analyzing the results, whereas matchmaking appeals to a more mature audience aged 25 and up. In fact, active people over 50 are increasingly showing an interest in such services. It is imperative for this audience to receive a selection of relevant profiles and rapidly establish personal contact with suitable partners rather than search databases themselves.

The Members

Today be2 has over 14 million members worldwide with over 20,000 new users registering every day. The company is represented in 36 countries across six continents. In 2008 alone, be2 plans to expand its operations into another six countries, including countries in the Far East. The gender distribution of be2’s members shows an ideal ratio of 48% men to 52% women.

Last update: 01/2009