Perry Street Software, the company behind SCRUFF and Jack’d, is giving GROWLR a major makeover after acquiring the bear community’s longtime favorite app from The Meet Group. In an October 6 press release, Perry Street announced plans for a multi-million-dollar, multi-year investment to completely rebuild GROWLR, modernize its design, and expand its presence in the GBTQ+ bear community.
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For years, GROWLR has been more than just another grid of nearby faces, torsos, and increasingly suspiciously perfect profile photos. Founded in 2010, the app now serves nearly half a million members every day, according to the press release, and its next chapter is set to bring a new look, new features, and a much bigger presence beyond the app itself.
And this isn’t being pitched as a simple ownership change.
GROWLR Is Getting More Than a Fresh Coat of Fur
The planned rebuild is substantial. Perry Street says GROWLR will get a new look and feel, a new logo, redesigned profile pages, and new sharing capabilities in chat.
Two familiar features are also getting attention. Shouts, which let members send a single message to multiple people within a chosen radius, will be expanded, while Flashes, which boost a member’s visibility nearby, are returning.
The company also says it is rethinking video content and its place in the app, while focusing on aggressively clearing out bots and spammers so members can connect in a safer digital space.
Because apparently even the bear community has had enough of profiles that look like they were generated in a suspiciously horny algorithm factory.
An all-new version of GROWLR is expected in early 2027. Members who want to help shape the app’s future can join the beta program, with details on how to participate expected in the app in the coming weeks.
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Coley Cummiskey Built GROWLR for People Who Wanted Their Own Space
We last interviewed GROWLR creator Coley Cummiskey in 2017, when the app was still closely associated with the person who had built it from the ground up.
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At the time, Cummiskey pushed back against the idea of GROWLR simply being another dating app. He described it as “The Bear Social Network or the Bear Social Media.”
GROWLR was designed around dating, hookups, friendships, conversations, events and long-distance connections, giving the app a broader social identity than its dating-app label suggested.
Cummiskey also told us that his motivation for creating GROWLR came partly from looking at other apps and thinking, “These are not my people.”
That history is worth remembering as GROWLR moves into its next phase. The app was created around a specific community rather than trying to be everything to everyone.
Now Perry Street is putting a major investment behind that same community focus while planning a complete rebuild.
The Bear Community Is Getting a Bigger Spotlight
The acquisition plans go beyond the app itself.
According to the October 6 press release, Perry Street is launching a major expansion of GROWLR’s sponsorship of bear events and Bear Weeks in the U.S. and around the world heading into 2027. GROWLR is also relaunching its social media presence and partnering with leading bear influencers.
GROWLR merchandise will also be completely refreshed, with the brand teaming up with marquee fashion designers for its first-ever bear-focused apparel line in spring 2027. Perry Street is also developing GROWLR-first content projects as part of its long-term plans for the brand.
And in a particularly practical bit of housekeeping, Perry Street has acquired growlr.com, meaning GROWLR will now own and operate the domain that bears its own name.
It took long enough. The URL has officially found its home.
Perry Street Wants GROWLR Everywhere Bears Gather
Perry Street Software co-founder John Skandros says the company is seeing growth in the bear community and plans to put GROWLR back into the real-world spaces where that community gathers.
“We’re seeing significant growth in the bear community, and we know the deep affection held by bears for Growlr. We are going to reinvest in Growlr to cement its reputation as the best app for bears, and we will make sure Growlr shows up for the bear community everywhere it comes together in the real world,” said Skandros in the press release.
The company’s plans also reflect its broader approach to LGBTQ+ communities that may be overlooked by mainstream dating platforms.
“We were eager to bring Growlr into our family of apps that focus on communities within the broader LGBTQ+ world,” said Perry Street Software CEO Eric Silverberg. “For us, the communities we serve are also communities we belong to, and that gives this work a personal significance and a real sense of responsibility. Our independence lets us set our own priorities. PSS doesn’t sell user data to third-party data brokers. We don’t let our apps get overrun by spammers or bots. And we serve relevant, queer-first ads instead of glitchy, full-screen takeovers that crash the app. Those are choices only an independent company can make, because by being part of the community, we answer to our community.”
Skandros also emphasized what makes the audience distinct.
“The bear community has always had its own distinct, vibrant culture that exists alongside, but apart from, mainstream queer culture,” said Skandros. “Growlr embraces a broader range of body types and ages, and offers a kind of appreciation and validation bears don’t find on other apps. We want members to be proud to represent themselves and their community when they show off the app and wear Growlr gear.”
Perry Street Is Bringing More Than an App to the Deal
Perry Street says it currently reaches more than 3 million members each month across its apps.
The company also points to its experience producing original queer content, including a game show produced on SCRUFF and the 2026 Jack’d Queer Film Festival, which showcases emerging work by queer filmmakers of color by streaming directly in the app.
That gives some context to Perry Street’s plans for GROWLR-first content, although the company has not yet announced what those projects will actually be.
For now, the immediate priority is the app itself.
So, Is GROWLR About to Have Its Big 2027 Era?
The interesting part of this acquisition isn’t simply that a familiar LGBTQ+ app has changed owners. Perry Street is putting serious money behind a rebuild while expanding GROWLR’s involvement in bear events, social media, merchandise and original content.
Back in 2017, Cummiskey told us that GROWLR had grown beyond the basic idea of dating. It was a place for people to meet, talk, make friends, find events and connect with people who understood the culture around the app.
Now, Perry Street is taking that established community and preparing to give its digital home a significant overhaul.
A new logo is nice. Better spam protection is nicer. An app that actually feels modern while continuing to serve the people who made it what it is? That’s the real test.
Because bears already know how to build a community. They just need an app that can keep up with them.
Source: Bearworld Magazine