(PEHub) Latin America dating app Kickoff has raised US$1.6m in funding. The investor was Monashees Capital. In addition to the funding, the company has named Carlo Dapuzzo, a partner at Monashees, to its board.

PRESS RELEASE

New York, NY – Kickoff, Latin America’s leading dating app, which connects friends of friends looking for a meaningful relationship, has received a $1.6 million investment from Monashees Capital, Brazil’s leading venture capital fund, and angel investors. Kickoff emphasizes quality connections over quantity by making introductions to people in each user’s social network. Kickoff is available on iOS and Android.

Kickoff was launched in São Paulo in December 2014 and has grown via word of mouth across Brazil and Argentina. “Our international team has built Kickoff into the leading dating app in Latin America, where Kickoff’s focus on making introductions to people in your social network is a great fit and differentiator. Friend and family connections are particularly important here. The Monashees investment provides us the resources to grow our team, expand to new cities and develop new features our users are asking for,” says co-founder and COO Alanna Phelan.

“We are excited to partner with Monashess to continue to grow Kickoff,” says Clayton Spencer, CEO of Kickoff. “Monashees’ unmatched experience and resources in Brazil and Latin America are particularly helpful to us. While living in Brazil, I experienced first-hand the value of friend and family connections here. I am excited to have a partner who shares our vision to create quality connections.”

Carlo Dapuzzo, partner at Monashees, said, “We are impressed by Kickoff’s mission to focus on quality relationships, their dedicated team and their rapid growth in Latin America, a region where other dating apps have failed to gain the traction Kickoff has achieved.” Mr. Dapuzzo will be joining the Kickoff board.