After 1,000+ dates, this woman entrepreneur's search for Mr Right led to dating community Floh
In 2011, Simran Mangharam founded Floh with her husband, Siddharth Mangharam. The only phygital dating service in the world, the community of smart, like-minded professionals looking for a meaningful relationship claims over 10,000 paid members till now.
Simran Mangharam, the Founder of Floh, a dating community for smart singles, says the idea for her platform came out of her personal experiences as a single, independent woman.
“When I was approaching 30, I faced a lot of pressure from my family and friends to find a partner and ‘settle down’. By the age of 37, I was still single and had been on over 1,000 dates. I had my profile on every matrimonial site. However, the experience was soul-sapping and I didn’t click with anyone on these sites and apps,” she recalls.
She says it was serendipity that brought Siddharth, her husband and Co-founder of Floh into her life. “I met him at a party, where our romance began over a platter of stinky blue cheese,” she says, with a laugh.
From an epiphany to starting up
The she had was that people loved to meet their special someone over a shared experience. She realised there was an opportunity for an exclusive dating community for smart, like-minded professionals looking for a serious, meaningful relationship with a partner of their choice.
And thus, Floh was born.
Simran had followed a rather unconventional career path before she started Floh. She pursued a degree in hotel management and later an MBTI counselling certification, “as personality types” were something she was “curious about”.
After working in the hotel industry for three months she shifted to Times Television when a chance meeting led her to work with sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar and his daughter, Anoushka.
“The next job I took was perhaps as close to a conventional corporate job as it can get. I worked with Herbalife and headed Sales and Communications for India. Then the entrepreneurial bug bit me and I dipped my toe in, by coming to Bengaluru to set up the southern arm of my brother’s executive search firm,” she says.
Not content to go with the Floh
In 2011, she founded Floh with Siddharth. The platform helps members connect online and offline and claims to be the only “phygital” dating service in the world.
The Floh app allows people to find and match with members, exchange messages, and join communities such as dance, history, music, literature, and fitness. Additionally, it also hosts events for members every week, where they can meet and bond with each other in real life via a fun group activity.
To become a member of Floh, one has to go through a three-step verification process that can be completed through the app. Once your profile is approved, you receive an invitation to join the community. Once you’re a member, you get 10 handpicked profiles daily. You can initiate conversations with them on the app or meet them in person, at the next Floh event.
As many as 42 variables are used to evaluate a profile. These include reviewing social profiles, work experience, education, etc. to ensure that the person is genuine.
“We’re the only service that conducts such a detailed screening. This is because we care deeply about the experience each member has and we want to give safety the highest priority. It is worth mentioning that the screening doesn’t end here. Every member is expected to follow the Floh House Rules, a set of non-negotiable points. If a user violates them, s/he is immediately removed from Floh,” Simran says.
Floh has had over 10,000 paid members in the age range of 25 to 40 years. Its members are professionals and include bankers, consultants, CAs, entrepreneurs, lawyers, NGO professionals, IAS officers, doctors, and artists.
The dating action plan
Sidharth and Simran Mangharam
Interestingly, Simran is also a dating coach who has spoken to over 50,000 singles and helped them navigate romantic relationships. “The core of being a dating coach is to be a good listener and customise an action plan for singles.”
“I first figure out the background of the person I am coaching. Have they ever been in a relationship? Are they recovering from a heartbreak? Do they find themselves always attracted to the ‘wrong type’ of person? Do they find it difficult to meet after connecting with someone online? Are they at a loss when it comes to taking the relationship with someone they like to the next level? All of these scenarios exist, and my role as a dating coach is to assist singles to get into a loving and long-lasting relationship that’s best for them,” she adds.
One of Floh’s unique features is that it bridges the gap between the online and the offline. It regularly organises interactive events like wine tasting sessions, salsa dancing, sailing on luxury yachts, brunches, karaoke, improv, poetry, and more.
In 2020, she plans to introduce a two-day festival, the Floh Singles Festival Goa, which will attract eligible singles from all over the country.
Floh’s revenue sources are subscription fees and event fees. It also receives some sponsorships from brands interested in connecting with its curated audience. The platform is backed by a set of extremely reputed angel investors.
Simran says the response has been “overwhelming”.
In the first year, they had one couple get married through Floh. So far, over 3,500 people have gotten married after meeting at a Floh event!
“Our members tell us that they love the idea of Floh because of two main reasons - first, it occupies the space between casual dating apps on one end of the spectrum, and matrimony sites on the other. Second, it is the only service where they can meet other singles just like themselves, in real life,” she says.
Plans for the future
At a Floh event
Simran says she’d like to paraphrase Jeff Bezos when she says, it’s still Day One at Floh.
“Under the hood, we have a proprietary AI tool called Wingmate, which leverages millions of data points to deliver a customised and safe experience for each of our members. The longer a member uses Floh, the better their recommendations and event experiences are. For example, we leverage Wingmate not only to optimise matches, but to also set up an actual date by recommending a time and venue for the couple to meet in real life.”
In terms of expansion, Floh plans to establish itself in the top 20 cities in India and in international markets like Singapore, Dubai, and London.
“Today, I am happily married, a mother, and am writing a book about my conversations with over 50,000 singles in India. The book will provide insights on being single and navigating the current dating landscape,” Simran signs off.
(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)
