SAN FRANCISCO – Hornet, the world’s second largest gay social network, announced today that it has raised its first round of institutional funding led by Ventech China to support rapid business growth and user adoption across the globe.
Hornet is committed to strengthening the gay community by providing quality social interactions with more ways to meet and engage in local gay communities. It recently introduced its version 3.0 which features an activity feed and the discover platform, which will take gay apps to the next level.
With over 15 million total and 3 million monthly active users, Hornet recently integrated Vespa — the largest, most comprehensive gay city guide — into its functionality. Vespa features over 5,000 places and 300 city guides in 70 countries and up-to-the-minute event listings around the world written by Vespa users and the international journalists at Hornet’s content provider, Unicorn Booty.
“We are excited to work with our new investors to further our mission and engage our community,” said Christof Wittig, CEO, Hornet. “Hornet brings interaction and an experience that builds relationships and helps form meaningful connections to local communities. We will invest heavily into making our vision for a fully connected gay community a reality.”
Eric Huet, Managing Partner at Ventech who joins the company’s Board of Directors, said, “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to invest in Hornet. The platform combined with the user functionality is unparalleled. In such a short time, Hornet has claimed leader position in many markets across the globe.”
“Gay apps have evolved over the past few years to more fully engage users, who demand a richer, mobile experience,” says Hornet President Sean Howell. “Hornet users expect to interact with other members and to be informed about the issues important to gay culture. Hornet is designed to reach and fulfill the needs of our diverse user base.”
Hornet’s business momentum reached new levels this past year with the acquisition of Vespa and Unicorn Booty. Hornet is now the number one gay social network in markets including France, Russia, Brazil and Taiwan and is showing rapid organic growth in other key markets.
Hornet’s free social network app available on iOS, Android, and the web.
