Crush.lu, the Luxembourg app for authentic dating

There was a time when love was found without algorithms, when a meeting was born of chance, a sideways step. Launched in December, Crush.lu aims to recreate that spark in the Grand Duchy.

“We’re all on our phones, and we forget the human side of dating,” said Wesley Hourdequin, a “crush coach” and one of the faces behind the platform.

“We used to build healthy, lasting relationships over a drink, not through phones and images,” he said. “I met my partner 12 years ago in the army, purely by chance. Not everyone has access to spontaneous love, and I think that’s a shame. Crush.lu offers that opportunity.”

The 100% Luxembourg-based platform places authenticity at the heart of its concept, along with the verification of every registered member. For founder Tom Sawyer, this step is essential.

Authenticity and security

“On traditional dating apps, there is no human verification of profiles,” he said. “At Crush.lu, we make it a point of honour to check the identity of our subscribers.”

The process begins with a validation text message sent to the member’s mobile phone. To register, users must have a Luxembourg, Belgian, French or German number.

Verification does not end there. “Within 24 to 48 hours, a crush coach makes a verification call,” Sawyer continued. “This allows us to make a selection and keep only people who genuinely want to commit.”

During these conversations, the team quickly gets a sense of each member’s personality, whether introverted or extroverted. “We’ve met people of all backgrounds, aged from 19 to 67. The average age is around 35 to 40.”

One month after its launch, Crush.lu has just under 100 verified members. Most come from the canton of Luxembourg (15%), the German border region (6.7%) and the canton of Esch (5%).

Real connections without likes

Crush.lu sets itself apart from conventional dating apps by focusing on face-to-face encounters. “Members don’t see profiles on their accounts,” Sawyer said. “We favour a direct approach through events.”

The project is still in its development phase. Sawyer and his team hope to reach between 100 and 200 verified members before launching their first meetings, which will take the form of speed-dating evenings.

“The first phase will be about breaking the ice,” he said. “We’ll introduce a voting mechanism so participants can decide how the evening unfolds. For example, each person might have 90 seconds to introduce themselves. Depending on the votes, this could be done with their favourite music playing in the background, or by sharing a photo and a story.”

Other variations are planned to personalise each event. “You might start the speed dating with spicy questions,” Sawyer explained, “or play a fun game, such as avoiding certain words for a set amount of time.”

Each evening will involve between 20 and 30 participants at a pre-selected venue. “We’re in discussions with bar managers, and some are very interested in hosting our events.”

Provided enough people sign up, Sawyer hopes the first evenings will take place from March onwards, in step with the arrival of spring.

The crush coach: an essential ally

Sawyer and Hourdequin both play an active role in supporting members. The two friends met while studying in Nîmes, in southern France.

“Tom is always full of ideas,” Hourdequin said. “I thought the launch of Crush.lu was a great concept and wanted to get involved in the project.”

As crush coaches, they help members navigate their search for love. “The crush coach acts as a third party to help break the ice,” Sawyer said. “We support people who may not have a naturally extroverted side.”

“If someone is shy, they’re not necessarily comfortable approaching others,” Hourdequin added. “We’re thinking about techniques to help initiate exchanges between members. For example, we’re exploring the idea of sending a ‘crush’ via a QR code after an event, a different way of making contact.”

“Ultimately, the goal is to create a crush by daring to try dating,” Sawyer said. “We chose a ghost as our logo to symbolise passivity, something that holds people back. But for a meeting to become a story, you have to dare to show yourself. And say to your crush: ‘I dig you.’ ”

(This article was originally published by Virgule. AI translated, with editing and adaptation by Lucrezia Reale.)