During the pandemic, one would think that online dating became more vital than ever, right? With everyone trapped at home, it would seem that it’s only natural that dating virtually became a go-to way of getting to know new people without violating stay at home orders. While internet dating has been all the rage for years, the pandemic allowed dating apps to become safe-havens for trust building. But the basic fact is that user base growth stalled as dates became a hazy memory instead of a regular, Friday night activity. Now, dating apps are back to growing, and seeming like a safer bet than they might have two quarters ago. Speaking of safe, that’s where Bumble separates itself from the competition. The female-oriented app, which puts the power in the hands, and thumbs, of women, went public earlier in the year to strong fanfare. At the beginning of March, the stock reported its 4th quarter earnings, beating Wall Street’s estimates, but also dipping into a net loss compared to a net profit the year before. Bumble has also expand its tertiary opportunities—from dating, to friend finding to business building. Since the IPO, the stock has hovered between approximately $66 and $78. But analysts are feeling enthusiastic around the company, with many pointing to its growth among millennials, its ability to weather potential tech sector dips, and its potential to eat in on its main competitor’s territory. The question then becomes: does Bumble have the muscle to become a big time player against Match, the name behind Tinder. Users understand the difference between the two swipe-friendly, “freemium,” platform, with Bumble leaning into female empowerment and safety and Tinder orienting itself around a come-one, come-all approach to getting its users together. What’s most interesting about Bumble’s potential is the acceleration of its post-pandemic potential. After what CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd described as an “incredibly lonely period,” dating could be set to become all the rage again, with a nation looking to blow off pent up steam. Getting in on Bumble now carries risk, but it could also become one of the boom companies once we’re all freed from this pandemic.