Even in the midst of a digital age, there is still room for missed connections — and a UNC alumnus has created a mobile dating app to fill that gap.
Catalyst, launched earlier this month, targets individuals between 18 and 25 years old in the Triangle area and can be downloaded for free through the iTunes App Store. The app is based on matching people according to their check-in locations. Two weeks after its launch, Catalyst is nearing 1,000 downloads.
Peter Simmons, a 2012 UNC graduate and creator of Catalyst, said the app took five months to develop. He said he raised $200,000 in seed funding for the project. Simmons hosted launch parties at several Chapel Hill bars, including Back Bar at Top of the Hill, The Library and The Thrill. Simmons said that even though there were smaller crowds at Back Bar and The Library, there was still a good overall turnout.
“The launch event went really well — it was a great first opportunity to get the word out about Catalyst and get the ball rolling,” Simmons said.
Simmons said he thought of the idea after meeting his now-fiance at Deep End, leaving only with her first name. They were able to stay in touch because she scanned his BBM barcode on her BlackBerry. Simmons said his goal in creating the app was to make the initial icebreaking easier and less intimidating for people.
“I wanted to create a system where you could just exchange limited peripheral information,” he said.
Catalyst focuses on the user’s check-in location. Users can anonymously like other users in the area. If they choose to like each other, they will be matched up. It then allows them to talk before deciding if they want to meet in person.
Simmons said the check-in feature that closely matches users based on location is one of the ways Catalyst is different from other mobile dating apps.
“We don’t resort to an algorithm or generated list,” he said.
