From icebreakers to sweaty palms to dating app conversations, Hype is using these startups to take the pressure off of Valentine’s Day (or Singles Awareness Day, depending on how you look at it). Plan the perfect date for your honey with Bloveit. For singles, use PlayNConnect to ease the awkwardness that comes with first dates.
And, if nothing can salvage the date portion of your evening, you can always have a boozy cupcake from Delights by Dawn once you get home.
Bloveit
Some people want to spend their V-Day in a quiet, dimly lit restaurant, while others prefer sitting in a swanky lounge or dancing the night away. Bloveit helps you plan the ideal date for you by by curating the best date locations and activities based on several criteria specific to the user. With 500+ restaurant partners, activities like mini-golf, bowling, and rock climbing, and even local events, there are more than 1000 date ideas to choose from on the Bloveit app. You can make reservations or buy event tickets directly through the app, essentially making Bloveit your personal shopper for dates.
Use the code VDAY2017 on the Bloveit website for access to their beta version.
Colour
Whether you’re gifting a day of pampering for your loved one or getting ready for a hot date yourself, Colour will save the day. This beauty startup provides women of color with pre-vetted hair stylists. Gone are the days of waiting hours to get a blowout, these stylists come to you!
PlayNConnect
For all the singletons on the day of lovers, PlayNConnect will fast forward you past the awkwardness associated with first dates. The app utilizes virtual games like Would You Rather and Word Snap to find potential mates for users, transitioning them into awkward-free and organic conversation.
Gyft
There are those people who are impossible to shop for. Either they’re way too picky or they have everything already! If your valentine is one of those, you want to avoid getting them yet another gift card to crowd their wallet. Gyft is a virtual gift card wallet, allowing buying, redeeming and sending gift cards all within the app.
Tifyn
Valentine’s Day is on a weekday this year. Couples may be tired after working all day, and going out can seem taxing. Community-based mobile app Tifyn makes it easy to spend time with your boo at home by delivering home cooked meals from locals. Tifyn’s chefs are true foodies who put their heart and soul into every meal, making it special for you and your loved one.
Incubate
You no longer need a DeLorean to talk to your loved ones in the future. Imagine a combination of iMessage, Dropbox, and a time capsule, and you have Incubate. This Atlanta Tech Village startup has created an app that allows users to send messages in the future to friends and family. They’ll receive the message at a set date and time, up to 25 years from now!
Remind them of your last V-days together or make a sweet capsule of your wedding anniversary memories this year. The possibilities are endless.
Delights by Dawn
Sure, you can have regular dessert this Valentine’s Day (plain vanilla, yawn). Or, better, you could have a dessert made specially for grown ups. Delights by Dawn specializes in alcohol-infused cakes and cupcakes that will make for a deliciously boozy ending to a romantic dinner.
Founder Dawn Belisle is a member of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, an incubator aimed at empowering female entrepreneurs.
