The first impression,
at a fever pitch

Hoping to drag the power of the first impression beyond the domain of quick-fix courting, WooMe joins users in chat room-style clusters, segmented by sex, age and interest.

Like a manic game of Musical Chairs, each user spends less than a minute video-chatting every other group member one-on-one. Afterward, they determine which ones "Woo'd" them.

Users who enjoy a mutual "Woo" can obtain contact information for a dollar.

The company is currently currying sponsorship interest from a major energy drink brand. Advertisers may target messages to users based on interest, age group and locale. Sponsored sessions are also in the works.

According to Adrants, the userbase is 65 percent male and 35 percent female, with an age group falling between 18 and 32 — "but we've got people up to age 52," CEO Stephen Stokols adds.

The company was founded last year. Having raised a couple million in its Series A from European investors and the Skype founders, WooMe expects to raise another eight million in the next few months.