Startups Magazine has compiled a list of startups that will make your heart flutter this Valentine’s Day, whether you’re coupled up, single and ready to mingle, or focusing on some self-love right now.

Kimai

Jewellery is one of the top Valentine’s Day gifting options, just behind flowers and chocolate, but sustainability is increasingly becoming a concern when consumers are looking for their next purchase. “A diamond often exchanges hands over 20 times after being mined, making it almost impossible to know where it definitely came from and under what conditions it was pulled from the earth,” Kimai’s website states. And this is where the startup comes into the equation. 

Kimai was started back in 2018, when the founders were driven by a desire to modernise the jewellery industry through sustainability and transparency. Kimai’s core offering includes fine jewellery crafted from lab-grown diamonds and recycled gold. Its approach not only addresses the ethical concerns associated with traditional mining practices, such as environmental degradation and labour issues but also caters to a growing demographic of consumers seeking ethically sourced products without compromising on quality or design.

Lioness

Lioness is a startup that specifically focuses on women’s sexual health. The company was founded in 2017 by Liz Klinger and Anna Lee, who aimed to blend technology with data analytics to empower women's understanding of their own bodies.

Lioness’s key product is its smart vibrator, which is designed for pleasure, and to provide insights into the user's sexual health and responses. This device is equipped with sensors that measure physiological responses during use, such as contraction patterns, temperature, and movement. The data collected is then processed and made accessible to the user via a companion app, offering a unique blend of pleasure and personal insight. Through its combination of technology, data, and education, Lioness is at the forefront of empowering women with knowledge and confidence about their bodies.

Little Riot

Little Riot makes technology that facilitates human connection. The startup’s flagship product, Pillow Talk, allows you to connect to a loved one when you are unable to be in the same place as them, all through the sound and feel of their heartbeat.

As a pair, each of you gets a wristband to wear to bed and a small speaker that should be placed under your pillow. The wristband picks up your real-time heartbeat and sends it to the other person's pillow. In your own pillow, you can hear the heartbeat of your loved one, wherever in the world you each may be. While it's perfect for long-distance relationships, the product has also been used in hospitals worldwide to keep families feel more connected.

Siweifushe

Long-distance relationships can be difficult, and tech startups are increasingly innovating ways to bring people together when they can’t physically be together. One of these companies is Siweifushe, the creator of ‘MUA’, a long-distance kissing machine.

The MUA transmits users' kiss data collected through motion sensors hidden in silicone lips, which simultaneously move when replaying kisses that it has received. The device also captures and replays sound and warms up slightly during kissing. The MUA resembles a mobile stand with realistic pursed lips protruding from the front. To use it, lovers must download an app onto their phones and pair their kissing machines, which they plug into the phone charging port. They activate the device using the app, then when they kiss the device, it kisses back based on the lovers’ kiss data.

Thursday

Thursday is a dating app that stands out for its approach to online dating, aiming to make the experience exciting and less time-consuming. Launched in 2021 by co-founders George Rawlings and Matt McNeill Love, the app's unique selling proposition is that it operates fully for just one day a week (every Thursday, of course!) This concept encourages users to reduce the time spent swiping on profiles and engage more actively in real-life dating experiences.

The app's functionality on a single day of the week aims to create a sense of urgency and excitement among its users, fostering a more engaged community. On Thursdays, users have the opportunity to match and chat with others, with the idea that they could arrange to meet on the same day, cutting out the wasted time that often happens on conventional dating apps.

Lots of love

The landscape of Valentine's Day is being transformed by startups. Their offerings go beyond the conventional, embedding technology and creativity to forge deeper emotional connections. This shift highlights a growing desire for meaningful expressions of love, reflecting broader trends in consumer behaviour and technological advancement.

As these startups continue to push the boundaries of what's possible, Valentine's Day emerges not just as a celebration of love but as a showcase for the future of romantic expression.