BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Enterprise  >  Open For Business  >  Why Are Singles Paying for This IRL Matchmaking Service?

Why Are Singles Paying for This IRL Matchmaking Service?

Violet Lim, Co-Founder and CEO of Lunch Actually, Group CEO of Lunch Actually Paktor Group

24-Apr-25 10:00

Why Are Singles Paying for This IRL Matchmaking Service?

In a market ruled by swipes, one 20-year-old matchmaking agency is keeping dating alive IRL.

In this episode of Open For Business, Violet Lim—Co-Founder and CEO of Lunch Actually, and now Group CEO of the newly formed Lunch Actually Paktor Group, shares how her team is navigating the swipe-saturated dating landscape with an 8-figure concierge-style business.

We unpack Violet’s journey from lunch dating pioneer to regional category leader, and how the group is tackling online dating fatigue with curated matches, coaching, and long-term relationship outcomes, not quick dopamine hits.

We explore:

  • Why Lunch Actually targets busy professionals over casual swipers

  • How coaching, tech, and human matchmaking come together

  • The economics behind an 8-figure love business

  • Their M&A-fueled expansion across Asia

  • What a potential IPO or strategic exit could look like

If you’re curious how a high-touch service is scaling in a tech-first world—or how to build a love business that lasts—this episode is for you.

Produced by: Roshan Kanesan, Kishan Sivaswamy

Presented by: Roshan Kanesan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  marketsWomen in Business

Tags:  consumer techmade in asiaonline datingmatchmakingmergers & acquisitionsrelationshipsdating





Play / Pause

Listen now : What's The Focus: We wrap up the week’s biggest conversations to keep...

Today’s Shows



6:00 AM

The 6AM Stretch

Thought-provoking discussions on ideas, people and events shaping our lives.

7:00 AM

World Market Watch

Kingsley Jones, Chief Investment Officer, Jevons Global tells us where international markets are heading.

7:15 AM

Morning Brief

We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and portals.

7:30 AM

Morning Brief

Sim Moh Siong, Commodity Strategist, OCBC Bank gives us an outlook on oil prices.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

John Zogby, Founder of Zogby Strategies,discusses the rising tensions between the US, Denmark, and Greenland over the island’s strategic role in the Arctic.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Fozia Amanulla, CEO of Boost Bank Berhad, talks about what makes the digital bank stands out among its peers.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Goh Cia Yee, Criminal Lawyer, weighs in on whether Deferred Prosecution Agreements are a step forward or a loophole for major corruption cases.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

(REPEAT) We dive into the local and international news that matters to you.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Kingsley Jones, Chief Investment Officer, Jevons Global tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) We take a look at the FBM KLCI as well as regional capital markets.

9:35 AM

What's The Focus

We wrap up the week’s biggest conversations to keep you in the know.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Nick Ng, Founder and CEO of Hock Kee Kopitiam.

11:00 AM

Mattsplained

Matt Armitage, Founder, Kulturpop

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Arun Menon (Managing Director), Ipsos Malaysia

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Fozia Amanulla, CEO of Boost Bank Berhad, talks about what makes the digital bank stands out among its peers.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

An eclectic selection of BBC shows, curated with variety in mind.

3:05 PM

Front Row

Encounter: Anime 2.0 brings iconic anime music to life with a full symphony orchestra. Producer Alvin Ong and conductor Justin Lai tell us what audiences can expect.

3:25 PM

Front Row

God’s Waiting Room is a tender look at ageing and connection. Writer-director Joe Hasham and actor Faridah Merican discuss storytelling, partnership, and creativity later in life.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

We’ve been fighting an uphill battle against super gonorrhoea, a drug-resistant infection, but we finally have new antibiotics that could work against this infection. Tune in to find out why this matters.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

A countdown of the 5 biggest stories of the day, to catch you up on all you need to know!

6:00 PM

Popcorn Culture

We review Train Dreams and The Voice of Hind Rajab.

7:00 PM

Just For Kicks

8:00 PM

Bar None

9:00 PM

The Selector