Bumble, the woman-first social networking app that empowers women to make the first move in dating, friendship and professional networking, has announced its first Bumble Bizz pitch competition in APAC.
The competition will award women-led business across the Asia Pacific region $5,000 USD grants to help them establish their companies.
The competition will run in Australia, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, the Philippines and Singapore, the six APAC markets in which Bumble currently operates, with one winner chosen from each country.
The announcement comes as Bumble announces a major milestone of 3 million registrations in Australia. Since its official launch in Australia in December 2016, Bumble has experienced enormous growth, with Australian women making the first move over 47 million times and over 550 million messages sent through the app in Australia.
Bumble APAC marketing director, Michelle Battersby said: “In awarding the grants we’ll be looking for businesses that have a clear mission and aim to solve a real world problem. We’ll be asking applicants to show why their business exists, how it is currently funded, and how the grant will support further growth.
“For us at Bumble, this is about providing opportunities for women entrepreneurs and opening up more pathways to success for them, while also encouraging them to make the first move with their business ventures.
“On top of this, my team and I are thrilled to have reached 3 million registered users in Australia. Every day we hear from men and women whose romantic, personal and professional lives have been changed by Bumble, and seeing how our community continues to grow like this is a phenomenal feeling.”
The grant receipts will be flown to Sydney to participate in the inaugural APAC Bumble Bizz Summit, featuring some of the world’s most inspiring women including: Elle Ferguson (founder of the Elle Effect tanning range, Australia), Lana Wilkinson (celebrity stylist, Australia), Lindsay Jang (founder of MISSBISH and Yardbird, Hong Kong), Liv Lo Golding (TV presenter and founder of Fitsphere, Singapore), Maggie Marilyn (fashion designer, New Zealand), Malini Agarwal (founder of MissMalini Entertainment), Martine Ho (founder of Sunnies, Philippines), and Roxy Jacenko (founder and director of Sweaty Betty PR and Ministry of Talent, Australia).
The inaugural APAC Bumble Bizz Summit will take place on Thursday 10 October at Carriageworks and will be free to attend for Bumble users.
Applications for the Bumble Bizz pitch competition will open at 9am AEST on Monday 16 September 2019, and close at 12pm AEST on Friday 27 September 2019. You can enter the comp via the app.
