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Blued has since devised numerous features to distinguish itself.
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In 2011, he quit his job to launch Blued, the gay dating app under the parent entity BlueCity.Įarly on, Blued was widely seen as a copycat of Grindr - a Californian startup that was bought by a Chinese company before it was forced to sever ties over security concerns. Ma, a former closeted police officer, founded the LGBTQ-focused online forum in 2000. The proceeds from the public offering will go towards investment in new technologies as well as expansion in domestic and international markets, which currently account for about half of its monthly users. The company said it aims to raise $50 million from the IPO, while it has not determined its offer price for each American depositary share (ADS). "To me, herein lies the power of the internet - it empowers us to elevate ourselves, and to bring warmth to others across all corners of the world living in loneliness, helplessness and fear because of their sexual orientation," wrote Ma, chief executive of the company, in the prospectus. This week, BlueCity, the gay dating and lifestyle platform he created, has filed for an initial public listing on Nasdaq. Life has changed dramatically for Ma since then. It was around 20 years ago when Baoli Ma hid in his bedroom feeling helpless and lonely for being a gay man in China.