From Gaming Vertical to Dating app and Winning the Cross Vertical Competition

By: Or Saadon and Tomer Gandler

Entering our second year at the Entrepreneurship school, we chose to take on the Playtika gaming vertical in the first semester —a deep dive into the gaming world and venture industry. Initially skeptical, we were quickly captivated by the industry's vibrancy, creativity, and potential, largely unknown to us before. Our lecturer, Yariv Lissauer, opened our eyes to the market's vast scale through his personal experiences, case studies, guest lectures, and insights from classmates. Inspired, we founded our venture, Blimp, which merges mobile gaming with online dating to offer a new experience. Blimp isn't just another dating app, It's a virtual world where users create personal spaces as their dating profiles and connections are made through mini-game interactions and shared interests, providing an alternative to traditional swiping while maintaining authenticity by integrating real-life personal information and photos navigating the intricacies of romance through gaming app mechanics. This approach transforms dating into an engaging adventure, fostering more genuine interactions.

Participating in the Cross Vertical Competition was a turning point for us, pushing us to refine our vision, pitch, and storytelling. With Yariv as our mentor, we leveraged our deepened industry knowledge to realize our idea. The competition was not just about winning; it was a journey of growth, team collaboration, and overcoming challenges—like fine-tuning our app's user experience to ensure engagement and meaningful connections and searching for the perfect target audiences. Winning the competition was a testament to our hard work and innovative concept, marking an unforgettable milestone in our entrepreneurial journey.