A Vancouver-founded dating app built in response to growing frustration with swipe-based platforms has been acquired by a European dating group expanding its portfolio of niche, youth-focused products.
IRLY, a Gen Z–focused dating app co-founded by Vancouver entrepreneur Connor Rose, has been acquired by DUA AG, a Switzerland-based company that operates multiple dating platforms across Europe. Financial terms were not disclosed, though the deal was completed as an all-cash asset sale.
IRLY was originally launched out of Vancouver while Rose was studying at the University of British Columbia, emerging from the entrepreneurship@UBC program. The app gained early traction by explicitly positioning itself against what its founders described as “dating app misrepresentation”—a dynamic where users feel pressured to curate unrealistic profiles optimized for swiping rather than connection.
In a 2022 interview with the Vancouver Sun, Rose described IRLY as a response to Gen Z users feeling increasingly disillusioned with photo-first dating apps, opting instead to build a product centred on personality-based profile games, conversation-led matching, and expressive prompts designed to surface compatibility before appearance.
That framing helped IRLY stand out in a crowded consumer category and earn early media attention during its formative stages, including coverage in Vancouver-area outlets as the product scaled its initial user base.
The acquisition places IRLY within DUA AG’s growing portfolio of niche dating brands focused on cultural relevance and intentional engagement. In 2022, the company acquired Spotted, a dating platform built around “crossed paths” encounters that had raised US$14.5 million in venture funding and attracted international attention.
IRLY was founded by Rose alongside Laura Rollock, with internet personality Cameron Dallas serving as a co-founder and early backer.
“This transaction represents a natural next step for IRLY,” Rose said in a statement. “We set out to build something opinionated and different in a crowded category. DUA AG brings the scale, infrastructure, and long-term vision to carry that work forward.”
For Vancouver’s tech ecosystem, the deal reflects a familiar—but still relatively rare—pattern: a locally founded consumer app reaching an acquisition outcome by carving out a clear point of view in a highly competitive global market.