Brazilian app Ysos – originally built for non-monogamous, open-relationship and swinger-friendly users – is pushing into new markets across North and Latin America. Having already made headway in its home market, the app now reports over 50,000 users in the U.S., with further launches underway in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Chile.
Launched by Brazilian developer ESapiens Tecnologia and positioned as a discreet digital space for singles and couples exploring beyond traditional dating models, Ysos offers features such as private galleries, interest-based matching, and verification processes designed to align with privacy and security concerns. The platform has focused on Latin America and the United States for a while now, likely as a prelude to its expansion.
Ysos’s decision to expand internationally comes at a time when specialized dating platforms catering to niche interest groups are proliferating. Analysts suggest that the global online dating market – projected to reach US $17 billion by 2030 – is increasingly fragmented, providing opportunities for apps that serve distinct communities and lifestyle orientations.
According to the company’s marketing team, the expansion is supported by a detailed market analysis and cultural research. The app’s CMO, Mayumi Sato, notes that “in Brazil, we usually tend to value what comes from abroad. But in the case of Ysos, the path was the opposite: the Brazilian platform absorbed influences from the international liberal scene and gave back to the global market a product that’s even more sophisticated, inclusive, and in tune with the transformations of contemporary behavior.” The company emphasizes a focus on privacy, safety and consent.
While Ysos has reported 1.2 million registrations as of mid-2023 in Brazil, its future could see even greater growth if the platform is truly able to adapt. As it scales into new jurisdictions, the app will face local content regulation, cultural adaptation and competition from mainstream platforms branching into alternative-relationship territory – or from other similar apps aiming for the same relatively-untapped markets.
