GROWLR bought by SCRUFF owner in major app rebuild
GROWLR has been bought by the company behind SCRUFF and Jack’d, with a multi-million-dollar rebuild and new version coming in 2027.
GROWLR is getting a complete rebuild after being acquired by Perry Street Software, the company behind LGBTQ+ social apps SCRUFF and Jack’d.
The acquisition was announced on 6 October, with Perry Street planning a multi-million-dollar, multi-year investment in the app. GROWLR has been acquired from The Meet Group and will now sit alongside SCRUFF and Jack’d under the same independent queer app company.
The plans go well beyond a change of ownership. GROWLR is getting a new look, new logo, redesigned profiles and additional sharing tools, while the Shouts feature will be expanded and Flashes, which increase a profile’s visibility nearby, are returning.
Perry Street also plans to rethink video within the app and target bots and spam more aggressively. An entirely new version of GROWLR is expected in early 2027, with members also being invited to take part in beta testing as development progresses.
There are plans away from the screen too. GROWLR will expand its sponsorship of bear events and Bear Weeks, relaunch its social media presence and work with fashion designers on its first bear-focused clothing collection in spring 2027.
The acquisition brings together three apps aimed at different communities within the wider LGBTQ+ population. GROWLR launched in 2010 specifically for bears and their admirers, while Perry Street says the app now serves close to half a million people each day.
For existing users, the biggest change will come next year when the rebuilt GROWLR begins replacing the version they use today.
