Risky business as Tinder meets LinkedIn in new dating app LinkedUp!

So much for not mixing business and pleasure, newly launched dating app LinkedUp! is using business networking site LinkedIn to hook up dates.   

LinkedUp! is like a mixture of LinkedIn and dating site Tinder and pulls information from LinkedIn user profiles, like their industry, schools and job.

The app allows users to chat after they have a mutual match. Like Tinder, LinkedUp! users can swipe right or swipe left to allow users to like and dislike profiles.

LinkedUp! allows users to connect with anyone on the LinkedUp! platform and similar to other Facebook-based mobile dating apps is not based on your immediate network or connections.

LinkedUp! chief executive Max Fischer is based in Los Angeles in the United States but spent some time studying at University of New South Wales in Australia. 

He told SmartCompany he got the idea for LinkedUp! after noticing people, including himself, using the business networking site to find dates.

“LinkedUp! users get a very true sense of who someone is, where they are from, where they went to school and what they do, giving users a sense of comfort and trust,” he says.

“These are also the first questions people ask in terms of gaining rapport in first date interactions!”

Fischer says there is no indication on a user’s LinkedIn profile that they are on LinkedUp! and the app never posts anything to LinkedIn. 

“What’s great about our application is that a user has to opt-in and download our app to be part of our platform, which helps keep LinkedIn professional,” he says.

“So only people who want to be a part of our LinkedUp! app are using it.”

The app is in no way affiliated with LinkedIn but uses the networking sites API key. 

Fischer declined to reveal how LinkedUp! is making money and how many users it has so far.

“The current traction and metrics are very encouraging since the app went live,” he says.

“Our main focus is gaining a quality user base and we’re seeing strong engagement thus far. We have seen users downloading in Australia and hope to see many more.”

The app launch comes after SmartCompany reported earlier this year that some LinkedIn users were trying to find love using the social network.

Director of CP Communications and social media strategist Catriona Pollard told SmartCompany the danger of using a business site like LinkedIn for personal purposes through LinkedUp! is the potential damage to your industry reputation.

“I think professional contacts and social contacts need to be kept separate, they certainly need to have a different strategies applied,” she says. 

“As an SME owner it can be hard to meet people as 75% of people meet their partner at work, but I just don’t think LinkedIn is the place to go out and find your partner.”

Pollard says using LinkedUp! could damage the reputation of users as people expect contacts to behave a certain way on LinkedIn. 

“You can’t be familiar in any way on LinkedIn, you don’t use smiley faces or emoticons let alone ask someone out on a date,” she says.

“On LinkedIn I would never recommend anyone would put their relationship status, it would be like putting it on your resume.”