I, Shahzad Younas, put up muzmatch as web site over a decade ago (2011) as a side task whilst I found myself however employed at Morgan Stanley to greatly help my community. Traditional providers only failed to cater to the requirements of Muslims after a life lover maybe not informal relationships.
2011 – The muzmatch site was quite innovative at that time. No month-to-month fees, and had been totally PAYG – spend 50p to look at pictures, A?1 to talk to someone. Established choice had been dreadful.
I distribute the word at all feasible, standing beyond mosques after prayers offering leaflets and getting small notes on car windshields in Muslim avenues, and additionally simply becoming normally annoying
The website increased, with plenty utilizing it, and even certain , smartphones are taking off and I realised PROGRAMS comprise the near future, not websites. muzmatch needed to be an app. It needed to be!
We quit my personal 9 season financial banking career and grabbed the step. From rooms of my personal home, we discovered building software.
We developed the initial version of the muzmatch application in MS phrase, and discovered ideas on how to rule, taking 4 months to construct the apple’s ios software, and 1 month to create the Android os software. shut the outdated websites all the way down and founded the app! muzmatch was reborn!
muzmatch ended up being and is also truly the only application I have actually ever built. It’s the very first global Muslim relationship app to exist.
The application established with zero members, and grows organically, with numerous latest users joining internationally. 2016 – I making my basic get.
We placed on Y Combinator, and flew out to SF for interviews with Paul Buchheit (founder of Gmail). Unfortunately we were refused considering we had been pre earnings. YC desired united states to prove this is often an actual businesses.
We have been a tiny startup combat to defend our selves up against the biggest internet dating company in this field
2016 – we register trademarks for MUZMATCH in the usa and Europe. all of us subscription goes through and it is however legitimate today.
Fit class solicitors spot our European TM registration and register an objection to they claiming its driving down their own match/match cardio style TM (merely submitted in 2015!)
2016 the lawyers send us letters demanding us to cease use of the MUZMATCH brand, claiming they might not allow another dating company to truly have the English word match inside their name.
Interestingly they presumably experimented with obtain Bumble double, as soon as rejected both period, sued Bumble for the same patent infringement claims over her usage of swipe gestures when you look at the application
We refuse. In addition they asked we alter the find and form of the logo by itself. We do not and wouldn’t desire to be confused with fit cluster – they affects the businesses becoming related to them.
We change our brand, and take off the center logo and change the font included in the muzmatch logo design. Situations go peaceful. Fit Group continue steadily to submit arguments to the EU Trademark.
2017 – muzmatch grows like hell. We reapplied to Y Combinator (with revenue and great gains) and luckily after traveling over to SF, muzmatch was actually recognized to your Summer 17 group!
We brought up a $1.75M seed round post demonstration day. 2017 – Whilst I happened to be in SF in the middle of YC, US fit people Chief Executive Officer Mandy Ginsberg enthusiastic to find out more about all of us, therefore has a video clip telephone call along with her.
– Match cluster reach out to you saying they certainly were into learning us further and find out more about all of our company. We had been flattered. Usually advisable that you become familiar with the competition. Their EU CEO/CFO/Biz Dev come to our offices in London.
I improve the continuing TM arguments these are generally filing. They refuse to back off. We register a UK trademark enrollment for MUZMATCH.
2018 – Match cluster ask you for their workplaces in Paris, and we signal an NDA and promote some internal data. I found myself eager to educate yourself on the way they understand our companies and potential. After some back and forth on facts, they generate her earliest give for all of us – $15M. Somewhat more than all of our seed valuation at YC. A lowball offer in my vision.
A couple of months later on they upped this present regarding a number of the further terms. We mentioned no cheers.
– they make another higher present of $25M which includes extra clawback terms and conditions if we failed to hit certain objectives. I said no cheers. We carry on growing the group and biz, with a team of approximately 7 men.
– We strike 1 million people on muzmatch! Company developing better. Match cluster ask all of us for lunch within Ivy, with party CFO Gary Swidler. They feature united states $35M your companies.
I experienced pretty much missing all curiosity about this conversation while the present was completely unexciting. Didn’t find out how complement would help us with developing. muzmatch is starting to take control of the world. I refused her give and said why don’t we just stay in touch.
2019 – fit party then pick a Muslim competition, Harmonica, stating the Muslim marketplace ended up being ‘not correctly offered by Western items’.
Months afterwards they sue muzmatch in the UK IPEC courts alleging trademark infringement We respond right back, saying all of our brand name are a redline that individuals will defend towards the end. It has been around for more than ten years, with no confusion with fit cluster, and serves an industry they’ve never ever sought for to serve as yet.
– complement party in the ante and register a lawsuit against muzmatch in Waco, Tx alleging patent violation (use of swipe motion) and cyberpiracy (use your MUZMATCH brand).
– it is quite expensive litigating in the usa. We produced the economic choice to settle the United States case with fit cluster.
We opt to take away the swipe motion from muzmatch app also. Generated zero ilove dating effect on the merchandise. Swiping in fact is dead.
– We hit 5 million customers globally, breaking interior reports weekly – record emails, suits and successes (over 150,000 someone locating their unique lover on muzmatch!). Staff develops to around 60 everyone and counting. Application live-in 15 dialects.
Our very own British lawsuit vs fit team continues to be real time, and now we head to trial 17th/18th Jan during the UNITED KINGDOM IPEC.
When we drop? I will be forced to changes our brand, while the label muzmatch will pass away. We shall likely need to pay product damages.
We combat, because we must. It is crucial that merchandise built for the community are built BY our very own people, hence we do not let ourselves is influenced and subject to others.
We ask for prayers, duas and close wishes from your community, our very own users and all of those people who have benefited from muzmatch and found their spouse.