App elevates the online dating experience by providing personal matchmaking services to a vetted community

RICHMOND , VIRGINIA , UNITED STATES, August 28, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — Virginia Venture Partners, the equity investment program of Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC), today announced a follow-on investment in CarpeDM. Washing D.C.-based CarpeDM is the most exclusive member-only dating community created for singles seeking meaningful relationships with professional Black women. CarpeDM previously received funding from Virginia Venture Partners (VVP) in 2021. Since this last investment CarpeDM launched its service in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia; matched members who are now dating exclusively; generated revenue through memberships; and grew its marketing, development, and matchmaking teams. CarpeDM will use this investment to accelerate member growth and increase operations.

CarpeDM is designed to help Black women find love with a service tailored to their needs and dating journey. Through a convenient mobile app, every professional Black woman granted membership is assigned a personal matchmaker, to whom they have direct access. They receive quality hand-selected and algorithm-curated matches based on their likes and personality.

“Dating can be frustrating for everyone, with hours wasted swiping on low-quality matches, fake profiles, players, and time wasters. However, dating apps and their algorithms have failed to address the specific needs, desires, and demographic of black women,” said says Naza Shelley, CEO, CarpeDM. “Our goal is to help black women find a meaningful connection and less time searching on superficial dating apps. We are grateful to VIPC’s Virginia Venture Partners investment to help continue our growth and help women find love.”

CarpeDM fully vets every community member with background checks to verify identity and criminal history and with its proprietary one-on-one interview process. Members are then able to access the member-only app and set their match requirements and criteria into three categories; “must haves,” “likes,” and “deal breakers”, and provide deeper dating insights directly to their personal matchmaker. Through this criteria, the patented app, combined with their proprietary matchmaking algorithm curates and delivers highly compatible matches that meet the required minimum match score and hand-selected matches that reflect the individual’s relationship needs.

“CarpeDM is making ​​changes to dating by building a convenient and tailored experience, specifically for professional black women,” says Tom Weithman, VIPC Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director of Virginia Venture Partners. “CarpeDM provides a tech-enabled matchmaking service and patented video-based dating app that is making strides in the dating world. Virginia Venture Partners is proud to support CarpeDM and their continued growth.”

VIPC’s investment in CarpeDM draws upon funds made available through the U.S. Treasury Department State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Program.

About CarpeDM
CarpeDM is the most exclusive member-only dating community created for singles seeking meaningful relationships with professional Black women. They’ve elevated the online dating experience by providing personal matchmaking services to a vetted community of high quality singles using their patented and award winning video-first dating app. They’re online dating with a very personal touch. Learn about CarpeDM: www.carpedmdating.com

About Virginia Venture Partners
Virginia Venture Partners, is the equity investment program of VIPC that makes seed-stage equity investments in Virginia-based technology, clean energy, and life science companies with a high potential for achieving rapid growth and generating a significant economic return for entrepreneurs, co-investors, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Since its inception in 2005, Virginia Venture Partners has deployed $41.8 million in capital across more than 275 portfolio companies, including 17 companies in designated Opportunity Zones. Virginia Venture Partners’ investment decisions are guided by the Virginia Venture Partners Investment Advisory Board (IAB). This independent, third-party panel has drawn from the expertise of leading regional entrepreneurs, angel, and strategic investors, and venture capital firms such as New Enterprise Associates, Grotech Ventures, Harbert Venture Partners HIG Ventures, Edison Ventures, In-Q-Tel, Intersouth Partners, SJF Ventures, Carilion Health Systems, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, and Alpha Natural Resources. For more information, please visit www.virginiaipc.org/vvp.

About Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)
VIPC: Connecting innovators with opportunities | As the nonprofit operations arm of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA), VIPC is the commercialization and seed stage economic development driver in the Commonwealth that leads funding, infrastructure, and policy initiatives to support Virginia’s innovators, entrepreneurs, startups, and market development strategies. VIPC collaborates with local, regional, state, and federal partners to support the expansion and diversification of Virginia’s economy.

Programs include: Virginia Venture Partners (VVP) | VVP Fund of Funds (SSBCI) | Virginia Founders Fund (VFF) |Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF) | Petersburg Founders Fund (PFF) | Smart Communities | The Virginia Smart Community Testbed | The Virginia Unmanned Systems Center | Virginia Advanced Air Mobility Alliance (VAAMA) | The Public Safety Innovation Center |Entrepreneurial Ecosystems | Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) | Federal Funding Assistance Program (FFAP) for SBIR & STTR | University Partnerships | Startup Company Mentoring & Engagement. For more information, please visit www.VirginiaIPC.org. Follow VIPC on Facebook, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn.

Angela Costello, Vice President of Communications
Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)
[email protected]
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