The story
Lumen brought modern app design and mandatory photo verification to over-50s dating and grew fast enough that Bumble’s parent acquired it in 2019 — then folded it into Badoo and shut it down within a year. Its brief run proved older daters will adopt a well-designed app; its end proved they weren’t the priority.
What it did well
- Modern design for older daters
- Mandatory photo verification
- Quality-first messaging rules
Why it faded
- Closed in 2020
- Users pushed to Badoo
- Short independent life
From our blog
- Lumen: A Fresh Approach to Senior Dating — February 4, 2025