Online Dating Firm Unveils $20M Yearly Fund to Boost “Virtual Intimacy” Startups

Social Discovery Group, the mastermind behind popular platforms like Dating.com and DateMyAge.com, has embarked on an exciting new venture. They’ve introduced a venture studio designed to make “virtual intimacy” a standard part of our lives, targeting fresh startups that are innovating in the realms of AI-driven communication, XR technology, and social discovery.

This ambitious initiative is called SDG Lab, and it’s not just talk—the group has committed to investing $20 million annually. Their approach to fundraising is refreshingly simple, offering entrepreneurs a chance to secure seed funding for initial product development, along with additional support for scaling up their ventures.

Among SDG Lab’s standout investments is ‘VR Chat&Date’, a platform for virtual dating, alongside other niche-focused apps like Kiseki, Flure, and AstroLove. Helmed by Alex Kudos, the former CMO of Social Discovery Group, SDG Lab is more than just a funding source. It extends comprehensive support to startups in the social discovery and connectivity space, offering legal advice, back-office management, technological infrastructure, and marketing know-how.

Alex Kudos, now CEO of SDG Lab, encapsulates the studio’s vision by stating, “Social interaction is on the brink of a digital transformation, and intimacy is leading the charge. At SDG Lab, we’re not merely funding concepts—we’re actively shaping the future of how humans connect. Through partnerships with visionary entrepreneurs, we’re crafting technologies that facilitate authentic relationships across the globe.”

Kudos further emphasizes the reality of our digital age: “The world of virtual relationships and AI-enabled connections is no longer just a futuristic dream—they’re integral to our online existence. SDG Lab is at the forefront of developing the next wave of products that will redefine how people link, interact, and form bonds online.”