Mediaboss Marketing

Mr Love is behind Thursdays quirky concept and yes thats his real name! (Picture: Getty/Thursday)

As our city singletons know all too well, dating apps can be exhausting.

Just as they build you up they can knock you straight back down again, too but not this one.

Thats because with the new Thursday app, the pursuit of love in London and New York and, soon, 20 other major European cities will be altogether less deflating and more exhilarating.

One day a week (guess which?) the app goes live from 0.01am until midnight and members are matched, giving users the opportunity to message and organise a date for that evening.

According to the dating gurus at Thursday, taking the focus away from daily swiping offers people the chance to enjoy life with family, friends and colleagues plus the all-important me time without feeling pushed to spend every spare minute in search of The One.

One thing that came out of the pandemic was the richness of slowing life down (something weve forgotten since lockdown loosened three nights on the trot? Were in!) so when everyone is once again partied and hugged out, a weekly dedicated date night will remain a permanent fixture.

Thursday stands out in a saturated market of dating apps to offer an alternative approach.

The entrepreneurs George Rawlings and Matt McNeill Love (yes, hes actually called Mr Love) who created the app want singles to scrap the small talk, snatch the spontaneity and enjoy a succession of regular dates every week.

We all get sucked into a dopamine burst from social media posting but this is heightened with a positive response from a potential suitor.

While its great to get that release when someone replies to a two-day old message, imagine the high when they reply straight away!

The urgency is there, the impulse is there and suddenly youve got somewhere to go in a few hours time. Who knows, you could soon be knocking back a gin with your soul-mate!

Thursday is reactive; message now or miss out.

We all want convenience, and we want it now dedicating one day a week to a quick chat back and forth to arrange a time and place will provide that instant need we have developed. And if the first date doesnt turn into a second date then theres always next Thursday.

For millennials and Gen Zers, dating tech has become key to meeting new people, especially during lockdown, but by stripping it back to once a week, Thursday sets out to reduce the risk of ghosting (you simply match, message, meet) or catfishing (all members have to be passport/driving licence verified).

And just as importantly, it gives singles the opportunity to physically meet someone new every week.

With their latest round of seed capital, the COO will be ploughing all funding into the tech building, improving and developing the platform to ensure a slick UX/UI experience and growingan already elite team to drive the app forward.

The pandemic played its part in halting the launch due to social restrictions (bit tricky to meet your match whilst banished to your home) but it did allow time to build the pre-reg database in London and New York, scrutinise the brand and tweak digital and social marketing strategies to work harder.

It wasnt all plain sailing. Due to the staggering demand of downloads at launch, the Thursday computer said no and the app crashed a devastating blow for any new brand.

Despite this, COO and Co-Founder Matt McNeill Love, a former officer in the British Army, demonstrated his art of resilience, and as a team they learnt quickly how to turn things around. Failure is part of progression, learn from it and crack on, he says, which is exactly what theyve done.

Thursday boasts a database of more than 100,000 members (expected to rise to 500,000 within six months) and has already raised 2.5million from investors and venture capitalists.

Covid has been a testing time for so many new/existing businesses but has also driven a motivation to show the market what theyre made of.

Thursday is a prime example of the way British businesses and entrepreneurs have overcome the challenges of the pandemic.

Innovation and resilience have been required for businesses to survive, let alone grow and succeed. Lloyds Bank, sponsor of the Lloyds Bank British Business Excellence Awards, has been striving to support UK businesses throughout lockdown through a series of help guides, interactive webinars, articles, stories and investments.

And, as we come out of the other side, its time to support promising businesses.

The Lloyds Bank British Business Excellence Awards in November are dedicated to businesses that have persevered despite the pandemic.

From entrepreneurs and start-ups to now established SMEs, it celebrates businesses that have overcome hardship, given back to the community, provided a positive impact, scaled up, exported and developed tech innovation.

Why not enter now and perhaps bring your Thursday night date to the ceremony, in-person, hosted at The Grosvenor House Hotel on November 9, 2021.

Entry submissions are open until July 9 here.

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Meet the brains behind Thursday, the dating app that works once a week - Metro.co.uk