For US group, Egypt matchmaking app is a catch
“Our vision is to help millions and millions worldwide into finding the right life partner in a safe, healthy and culturally accepted manner,” said Shaymaa Ali, co-founder of Harmonica.
Harmonica gathers information from a wide range of personal questions designed by psychologists, the accounts and individual assessments, which allow the lifestyle, way of thinking and priorities of each user to be identified. The data are analysed by an algorithm that suggests potential partners, which adjust as the application is used and users evaluate proposed matches.
Among Harmonica’s main attributes are its safety considerations, especially regarding authentication of accounts and its strict confidentiality. This is particularly the case with women, who have the option to hide or blur their pictures, give a guardian of their choice the option to access the application or report other users.
“Lack of compatibility is one of the main factors leading to divorce in Egypt and in our Arab society,” said Ali. “Any successful relationship is [based on] complementarity, as each partner complements the imperfect in the other, accepting his flaws, characteristics of his feelings and differences.”
Before being launched in me of a regional early-stage investor and accelerator, Flat6Labs, during which it received financial, legal and technical support, as well as access to the Flat6Labs’ network of partners and investors.
By the end of the programme, the application had attracted some 5,000 users, a figure that would increase 700% in the following weeks, Flat6Labs said. (more…)