GRND

Grindr Inc.

A maker of one of the world's largest dating and social apps for gay, bisexual, and queer men, Grindr uses GPS to show nearby profiles in a grid, helping users connect for dating, friendship, and more. Founder Joel Simkhai launched it in Los Angeles in 2009, partly because he kept wondering who around him was gay; the name riffs on a coffee grinder, meant to "mix people up together." Fun fact: the team wanted a name that worked as a verb and sounded tough and masculine, so it landed on Grindr rather than something softer.