By Aimy Smith | @smith_aimy

Image credit: Sarah Perez/TechCrunch

It’s been a month since you’ve been playing Pokémon Go, and your big group of friends has slowly been dispersing. Or maybe you’re tired of seeing the same faces almost everyday (it can happen). Or maybe you’ve just always been solo, and you’re finally tired of your mom nagging you to bring that special someone home. If only you could meet a person with a guaranteed common interest. Good thing matchmaking services hold the same sentiment.

With all the craze surrounding Pokémon Go, it’s not surprising that the dating market has tried to grab a hold of the app’s success. If the gate to the attention of 20 million-plus people is open, why not jump through?

One of the first dating companies to dip into the viral phenomenon was Chicago-based startup website Project Fixup. This company makes use of real people, or “fixup specialists”, to act as matchmakers by looking at your online profile and pairing you on a blind date with someone they think would be a good fit. Now comes their PokéDates concept, which not only matches people based on their profiles but also on their mutual desire to play Pokemon Go.

Image credit: Sarah Perez/TechCrunch

Pokématch was also quick to join in on the fun and rushed out an application very similar to an already well-established dating app. Much like Tinder, users can swipe right on profiles they want to “catch” and message each other. The only difference being people who sign up for the app are those who actually want to play Pokémon Go together.

Image Credit: Nate Swanner/The Next Web

The latest app to jump on the bandwagon is Dine, which focuses more on dinner dates than virtual chats. They released a new “Let’s catch Pokémon” feature that allows users to notify their matches that they’re interested in pokéhunting as a first date.

So will love at first sight evolve into love at first catch? It’s probably too soon to tell, but it’s an exciting time to be alive, nonetheless.

Image Credit: Sarah Perez/TechCrunch