Lola Dating, a trailblazing new dating app that matches users based on mutual availability to make it easier to set up dates, will launch in Boston on 28th May. Lola is unique in requiring users to provide their availability for the next five days before browsing for potential matches. The app only connects users for chats when they are ready to date. Furthermore, the company has a patent pending on a post-date feedback system designed to enhance the match-making algorithm.
Lola was launched by Boston Venture Studio, led by Paul English, co-founder of the popular travel site Kayak, in response to widespread dissatisfaction with existing dating apps. Thousands of single adults who joined a waiting list will be invited to use the app beginning 28th May. Unlike other dating platforms on the market, Lola pairs users based on dating preferences and mutual availability, and uses patent-pending technology to solicit post-date feedback, thereby improving future matches. The innovative app aims to facilitate dates within days and build a community of proficient daters.
Founded by Paul English and Rachel Cohen in 2023, Lola was born out of a desire to solve a real pain point with dating apps: getting stuck in an endless loop of swiping and chatting. Cohen pitched the idea to Paul on their second date, and the rest is history. “Our aim is to fix everything wrong with traditional dating apps,” explains co-founder Paul English. “We’ve created an app that is about dating more and chatting less. Traditional dating apps take weeks to get a date, ours takes days.”
Lola is the only dating app that matches compatible individuals who are available and ready to go on a date within the next five days. Users choose the days they are free to go out on a date that week, and Lola will show people they are compatible with who want to go out on those same days. By exclusively matching daters with mutual availability, Lola ensures users spend less time swiping and more time going on meaningful dates.
Also at the core of Lola’s groundbreaking approach is its unique feedback system, aimed at improving users’ dating pool and their dating skills. Lola prompts both parties to indicate if they would date the other person again and provide constructive feedback on the date, a first of its kind in the industry. “By fostering a community of good daters, we’re creating a platform where people can meet online with the intention of going on a date in real life to find out if there is chemistry,” says Rachel Cohen, co-founder of Lola.
Following the date, users are required to indicate if they plan to go on a second date, and to select what they liked and disliked about the date from a predefined list of keywords, such as “Intelligent”, “Funny”, “Late” or “Rude to staff”. Using machine learning, this information improves the algorithm, which leads to better matches, not just for the individual that provided the feedback, but for everyone on the platform.
After every five dates, users can opt-in for access to anonymous feedback from their previous matches, further enhancing the matchmaking process, and improving its matchmaking algorithm. Lola is the only dating app that gives users anonymous feedback from past dates to improve their dating game.
Additionally, Lola’s stringent safety measures and commitment to creating a trusted community provide users with peace of mind while navigating the dating landscape. Lola stands as the only app that employs rigorous screening, ongoing monitoring, and proactive rejection of malicious entities through advanced security features. Paul English added: “Our number one priority is creating a safe and trusted community. We will actively monitor the platform for ‘bad actors’ who will be removed if the bad behavior is not corrected.”
Lola’s launch in Boston marks the beginning of a new era in dating. While the app is currently available for download and consumers are encouraged to create their unique profile now, matchmaking will commence on May 28th. Initially available within a 75-mile radius of Boston, Lola has plans for expansion to other major cities, including New York, in the near future.
