The founder of Hinge raised $18M to build a new AI dating service, Overtone
Overtone describes itself as "a voice- and audio-forward service, enabled by AI, that provides highly curated introductions. " Hinge founder Justin McLeod announced an $18 million fundraise for his new dating company, Overtone . McLeod stepped down from his CEO role at Hinge just last year, and Hinge owner Match Group - which also owns apps like Tinder and OkCupid - is helping to fund his new company, alongside FirstMark Capital and Pace Capital.
Key Takeaways
- While details on the company are limited at this point, Overtone describes itself as "a voice- and audio-forward service, enabled by AI, that provides highly curated introductions.
" "Overtone is not a dating app," McLeod wrote in the blog post .
- " It may seem odd for the guy who created Hinge to disparage algorithmic feeds and swiping, but the dating industry at large is evolving with the realization that users are dissatisfied with the status quo.
A Forbes Health survey conducted in 2024 found that 78% of dating app users felt burnt out.
- "We get to know each person deeply, learning about them in their own voice, hearing their own unique story," McLeod wrote.
"And we make only the introductions that are worth making, grounded in relationship science and thoughtful reflection.
- Amanda Silberling Senior Writer Amanda Silberling is a senior writer at TechCrunch covering the intersection of technology and culture.
She has also written for publications like Polygon, MTV, the Kenyon Review, NPR, and Business Insider.
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Stats & Key Facts
- #" Hinge founder Justin McLeod announced an $18 million fundraise for his new dating company, Overtone .
- #A Forbes Health survey conducted in 2024 found that 78% of dating app users felt burnt out.
- #The survey's 1,000 respondents reported that they spent about 51 minutes per day on dating apps, but this time investment did not often yield fulfilling connections.
While details on the company are limited at this point, Overtone describes itself as "a voice- and audio-forward service, enabled by AI, that provides highly curated introductions. " "Overtone is not a dating app," McLeod wrote in the blog post . "By that I mean it's not a social platform with profiles that reduce people to stats, quotes and photos.
There are no opaque, algorithmic feeds trained on split-second impulses. And there's no juggling likes, matches and chats across many people at once. " It may seem odd for the guy who created Hinge to disparage algorithmic feeds and swiping, but the dating industry at large is evolving with the realization that users are dissatisfied with the status quo.
A Forbes Health survey conducted in 2024 found that 78% of dating app users felt burnt out. The survey's 1,000 respondents reported that they spent about 51 minutes per day on dating apps, but this time investment did not often yield fulfilling connections. Most dating apps are trying to improve the quality of their matchmaking through AI, offering AI-generated conversation starters or assistance building out profiles.
For more details please read the original article at TechCrunch AI.
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