Meet Jamie Johnston, Founder at Dating App: Mattr

Tell us about Mattr.

 

Mattr is the world’s first vulnerability-based dating company. We provide a safe space for deeper and more personal conversations from inception. Powered by a digital app, Mattr also provides our community with exclusive perks across a range of dating brands, from hair and make-up to dating experiences and everything between and offline community mixers.

We are proud to be an inclusive product and have developed safeguards to protect users’ mental health and neurodiverse accessibility throughout the product.

 

 

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

 

During the pandemic, I was diagnosed with AuDHD (ADHD & Autism). When I went back to work at a large content agency, I saw a massive shift in what was performing well online, being much more real and transparent. But dating apps were the polar opposite, a land of superficial fakery.

I would never have dreamt of discussing my condition on my profile, and I felt that was wrong. These were important things to know about me, and I didn’t understand why deeper conversations weren’t being had when the rest of the online world was moving that way. I knew it would change, and it has. A recent study by Hinge shows that 93% of daters look for someone who is emotionally vulnerable, and Match Group this year states, ‘An overwhelming 86% of singles reckon that talking about mental health is crucial for laying strong relationship foundations’.

 

 

What is your advice to aspiring entrepreneurs?

 

Be prepared for stress. You have to live and breathe your business; the highs are high, and the lows are super low. It’s normal to feel like you are lost, but most of us learn as we go along. Be prepared for things to take longer than you think, and not everything will be perfect. Take on criticism; it’s not personal and is mainly done to help you. And remember, advice is just that: not everything you get told is the truth. Trust your gut!

 

What most excites you about Mattr?

 

The market is changing in our favour; we took a punt a few years ago, thinking this had to change, and it did. We are very excited about expansion plans and opening up in a new city along with a range of new features to the product which will be revolutionary to what we do.

 

How has the company evolved since it was set up?

 

Including brand partners and community events has revolutionised what we do. Having access to so many amazing spaces in London to go on dates with a discount means we always offer value to our community. We have also started our offline meet-ups with activity-based group dates, which have been a great success. We aim to grow this programme out to hopefully six a year.

 

What can we hope to see from Mattr in the future?

 

We are currently running a crowdfunding campaign with Crowdcube, which is something we have wanted to do for a long time. This gives the chance to so many people to back the company that would have been unable to before. Head to the page to have a look, also on our website.

And in the future, without giving too much away, we want to make the entire dating experience easy for people. All in one app. Watch this space….