Qingchifan

About Qingchifan

Qingchifan, operating under its parent company Beijing Gezhi Pu Technology Co., Ltd., was established in 2014 by founder Gangqiang Liu. Headquartered in Beijing, China, the company operates within the social and dating application market.

The firm secured significant early-stage capital, raising $3.38 million in a Series A round on December 30, 2014, with Sequoia Capital as the investor. This was followed by a substantial Series B funding round on April 7, 2015, where it raised $20.5 million, led by Vertex Ventures and with continued participation from Sequoia Capital. The total funding amassed over these two rounds amounts to $23.9 million.

Qingchifan, which translates to "invite to eat," developed a mobile application focused on connecting individuals for dinner dates. The platform allows users to create public profiles displaying information such as photos, height, profession, and income. Users can then browse other profiles, filter by proximity, and initiate chats. A key feature of the service is its emphasis on facilitating actual in-person meetings over a meal. The app enables users to propose a date by selecting a time and restaurant, and even pre-determining how the bill will be split.

The company's business model incorporates a monetization strategy based on user engagement and visibility. It utilizes an internal "credit score" to help match users; individuals can increase their visibility on the platform by being more active or by purchasing credits to promote their profiles. The target demographic primarily consists of young urban professionals and others interested in expanding their social circles through shared dining experiences. By early 2015, the platform reported having 10 million registered users.