New Wave of Dating Sites Get a Market Test

When the online dating site Zoosk filed to go public on Wednesday, its competitors perked up: The IPO could validate an industry sector where there’s a lot of activity but limited investor interest.

“You see a lot of hesitation among investors, and it’s because they haven’t seen a lot of validations about how big an online dating site can grow,” says Arum Kang, founder of Zoosk competitor Coffee Meets Bagel.

Zoosk’s $100 million public offering, she says, is “a positive thing for investors, and I think it will be a positive thing for everyone in the dating space.”