By Suzanne BearneBusiness reporter
Whenever Robyn Exton first established the woman dating and social networking app for lesbians and bisexual girls, insufficient earnings to promote suggested she’d visit clubs equipped with bottles of spirits.
“in early weeks I’d go to nightclubs with a bottle of sambuca within one give, and tequila during the other, and inspire babes to download the software in return for a trial,” says the 29-year-old.
After that at UK lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) festivals Manchester and Brighton Pride, she directed girls by located beyond your portable lavatories handing out toilet tissue with flyers promoting the application.
This was in 2013, and Ms Exton’s low-cost, but innovative, method to advertising soon noticed consumer data rise gradually, after that furthermore gaining traction by way of positive word of mouth.
Launched in London, however with the headquarters transferring to san francisco bay area a year ago to be nearer to US people, and to take the heavy of this burgeoning social network scene, the Her application presently has several million female users all over the world.
‘Insane’
The lady came into this world from Ms Exton’s stress with established lesbian matchmaking web pages and apps, which she didn’t believe are good enough.
She says the market was controlled by “dating websites that were initially created for homosexual guys, and tuned pink for lesbians”.
Ms Exton got an internal business comprehension of this because during the time she had been employed by a London-based branding service, in which this lady clients generated dating networks.
The light bulb second whenever she chose to do some worthwhile thing about the situation emerged whenever she was a student in a club with two company, one of who have separate with her gf.
Ms Exton states: “We told her you’ve got to join these websites to generally meet somebody else, there’s really no various other possibility.
“It actually was insane because I knew the caused by my client, and I believed, ‘is this ideal that is out there to girls? Because it’s uncomfortable, and humiliating that people is compelled to make use of these’.”
Thus Ms Exton stop this lady tasks, and began focus on creating Her.
Transferring with her dad to save cash, she worked in a pub on nights and sundays, and instructed herself how exactly to computer program.
Armed with £10,000 of benefit, such as a £4,000 lotto victory, Ms Exton launched the first incarnation of Her in 2013, in the beginning phoning they Dattch, which stood for “date catch”.
To secure assistance and business advice she successfully achieved a spot on start-up mentoring programme Wayra, and is run by telecom firm Telefonica.
Initially simply an internet dating app, further materials has been added over the past 3 years, like a news part, and occasion lists.
“We made it even more of a personal enjoy for our people,” states Ms Exton.
“a lot of our very own customers are located in a partnership, but use the app to discover what’s occurring during the urban area, review LGBT content, and then make pals within their place.”
Meanwhile, the name was changed to their in March 2015.
“everyone cannot spell Dattch,” claims Ms Exton.
Paid-for version
Since their publish, Her has actually raised $2.5m (£1.7m) in financing, with our company people like Michael Birch, creator of social networking Bebo, and Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of news platform Reddit.
But possess yet to produce any cash, as Ms Exton possess to date used the well-trodden road of getting grip by providing a free of charge services.
Earnings may eventually begin to arrive after this year when their releases reasonably limited, paid-for type of the application.
Ms Exton defintely won’t be drawn on costs, and exactly what it will include, but she really does state you will see “extra value-added services”.
Technologies specialist Britanny Carter of data cluster IbisWorld says that software like Her, that focus on certain class, can successfully carve a distinct segment in the online dating space.
She contributes: “Including material to further participate customers is a great technique the girl to convince app consumption, especially when the user base was small and progress is crucial.”
Yet Ms Carter cautions that Her should always get on guard against prospective competitors.
“similar to matchmaking software, the changing costs between apps was reduced, so the lady will probably face competitors from other software looking to appeal to the lesbian marketplace.”
‘thanks’
Now located in San Francisco with five co-worker, while two additional their workforce remain in London, Ms Exton claims the software is often on guard against boys attempting to join.
The organization estimates that 15per cent of individuals wanting to join are boys acting is ladies.
To prevent this, all customers need to validate their own gender by enrolling through their particular fb or Instagram account, while Her has some other examining systems set up, and real people are “fast to submit people who do not honor the city”.
On a much more good note, Ms Exton states she is satisfied to to learn tales about ladies who can “figure down a big section of their sex” as a consequence of signing up for Her.
She recalls enough time when a girl emerged to this lady at the end of a meeting she was speaking at 
.
“She only desired to express gratitude,” claims Ms Exton. “She had stumble on Her. and she could today meet with a group of lady similar to this lady, just who produced the lady think okay, and just weren’t attending ask the lady exactly what she determines since.”