Launched on June 12, 2002, Meetup became an organizing tool for a variety of interests including hobbyists, fan groups, outdoor enthusiasts, community activists, support groups, and more. However, despite allowing members to declare an interest in "Singles", dating and singles groups are prohibited.[7]
Among the first users of Meetup were virtual communities such as BookCrossing, Slashdot, and LiveJournal.[8] Slashdot's membership dates to June 17, 2002,[9]five days after the launch. On July 25, 2002, Slashdot used the Meetup platform to schedule and arrange a worldwide gathering of 5,000 members.[10][11] Currently, the largest category of groups are for moms arranging lunches and playdates.[12][13]
In November 2017, after years of declining usage,[14] and lacking the cash needed to update systems to current standards, Meetup was sold to WeWork for $30 million. Meetup's staff was reduced by 10% after the sale.
