Latest news with #Sitch
Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Tired of swipes? This AI matchmaker chats first, then sets up introductions you can accept or skip
What happens when a chatbot becomes your matchmaker? Can a quiet conversation with software lead to better first dates? The idea sounds bold. It also reflects how tired many people feel about swiping and small talk that goes nowhere. Answer the bot, then meet the person. A slower route to a date that aims to feel more thoughtful and focused.(Unsplash) How the flow works A new dating app called Sitch uses an AI matchmaker to move past the usual profiles and one liners. CNBC first spotted the app and its unusual flow. You start by chatting with the bot. It asks what matters to you in a partner, what you value, what puts you off, and what a good first meeting looks like. It turns those answers into a simple profile with sections like non negotiables, red flags, and nice to haves. You can read what the bot captured about you and adjust if needed. The next step is not a chat with a person. You continue talking to the bot about someone it thinks might fit. It answers questions about that person in plain language. The aim is to help you decide faster without falling into endless messaging. If both people say yes, the bot makes an introduction. After that, you talk directly in the app and decide if you want to meet. Some early users say they have gone on second dates. They like that an introduction arrives each week and that it feels more considered than a random swipe feed. The service sells setups in small packs rather than a long subscription. Prices vary by pack and can change, so it is best to check in the app. There are real concerns. AI chatbots can give wrong answers or fill gaps with guesses. This can be a problem when people want honest context before they meet. Safety also depends on strong checks for fake profiles and fast reporting tools. The founder behind the app has said the system can go off track at times, and that improvements will continue. That is a fair admission. It also shows how new this idea still is. Sitch is live in US cities like New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. It plans to reach Chicago and Austin by the end of the year and the team also talks about a wider rollout in the future. If it grows, the service will need clear rules on what the bot can say and simple ways to fix errors. It will also need to show that matches lead to real dates and better outcomes than the old swipe model. The appeal is simple. Less noise. Fewer dead ends. A calmer path to a first coffee. Whether a chatbot can offer that at scale is the question. For now, it is an interesting test of what dating can look like next.
CNBC
4 days ago
- CNBC
Her friends were 'terrified' of dating apps, so this 30-year-old founder turned to AI to help singles find love
For Nandini Mullaji, romantic setups have always been a way of life. The 30-year-old grew up in Mumbai, India where "matchmaking is a very, very strong part of the culture," she says. In fact, Mullaji's grandmother was a matchmaker and successfully set up two of her aunts. Mullaji attended boarding school in the U.S., then Georgetown University for undergrad and eventually Stanford for a combined MBA and master's in education. It was there that she was confronted with one of the major problems with modern dating: People were tired of swiping. Her friends were "successful, good looking, amazing women," she says, but "they were terrified of having to get back on the apps." In 2023, Mullaji, who was part of the team that launched Bumble in India years prior, went to work building her first dating app, Setup, which would set users up per their availability during the week. She quickly realized it didn't offer the kind of solution dating needed. "It didn't feel like this big, life changing product," she says. "It felt like a feature." The following year Mullaji met Chad DePue, who'd previously led teams at Snapchat and Microsoft. The two realized large language models like ChatGPT could be leveraged to create an AI matchmaker that leans into the tradition of Mullaji's homeland. Together they built Sitch, a pay-per-setup app that uses AI to identify the best romantic matches, which launched in December 2024. There has been a lot of interest in how AI might impact the future of dating — both from eager singles and investors. As of July 2025, Sitch has raised $6.7 million in pre-seed and seed funding and boasts "tens of thousands of users," Mullaji says. Here's what Sitch has that the other apps don't, and why Mullaji believes AI matchmaking is the solution modern dating needs. Mullaji identified several problems with the current dating apps. To start, users have too many options, she says. Next, messages in and sometimes out of the app rarely lead to actual dates, according to Mullaji. A 2022 study by Stanford researchers surveyed more than 1,000 Tinder users and half said they were not actually interested in meeting offline, citing reasons like boredom for why they're even on the app. Most importantly, Mullaji says, the information you get about a person via dating apps is limited and superficial, which leads to a "fundamental mismatch of values that would only reveal itself after a few dates." Daters are fatigued by conversations that go nowhere and dates that feel like a waste of time and money. Mullaji and DePue's solution is to have its AI do the heavy lifting upfront, which distinguishes Sitch from apps like Bumble, which uses AI primarily to enhance user safety and Hinge, whose AI features include a coach that gives feedback on your profile. On its website, Sitch promises daters a "personal matchmaker that's actually affordable, and will introduce you to someone you will actually vibe with." Singles can download the app or request a phone call via a prompt on the app's website to speak with an AI chatbot that was trained on Mullaji's own experience as a matchmaker — it even has her voice. Users then answer questions posed by the "matchmaker." They include straightforward questions about your interests and ideal date, but also questions meant to go deeper and identify a person's priorities and values, like about who you've dated in the past, what you liked and didn't like about them and what your dating goals are. Once the app has at least five possible matches based on user preferences, it starts sending those their way. Users can then ask questions about the other person, and when the app suggests someone they're interested in who's interested back, the AI matchmaker makes an introduction in a group chat, just like a friend would. Sitch users pay for successful setups. The app offers packs of three, five or eight setups that are priced at $90, $125 or $160. According to its website, the app justifies the cost — which is higher than competitors like Tinder and Bumble — by explaining that paying users are "serious and committed to actually meeting people IRL." But Mullaji is aware that as with any tech, problems will arise. "It can go rogue with the conversation," she says of the possibilities. For example, the AI can give the wrong advice about a potential date or hallucinate the wrong details about people. "But I think these are things that we're going to be able to fix as time goes on," she adds. One plus about an AI matchmaker versus a human one, Mullaji says, is that people aren't afraid to hurt its feelings and are not filtering what they say. "They're being so incredibly truthful," she says. That honesty, Sitch asserts, helps the AI matchmaker filter for exactly what the individual dater is looking for in a relationship and in a partner. Essentially, users waste less time and money on dates with people who just don't fit the bill. They also have a better shot at finding a long-term match. There is one part of Sitch's process that is still human-driven, though. The app manually reviews new user applications, which includes a verification selfie. Sitch is live in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles and users of the app have already been on thousands of dates. Many of them report that working with an AI matchmaker has been a more positive experience compared to using a traditional dating app. James Harter, 31, used Sitch for a few months and found it effective in identifying people he'd actually enjoy spending time with. "I think every date I went on, there was a second date," he says. Harter recently met someone in-person and is not currently using the app. Karishma Thawani, 35, has been out with two different people she met on Sitch, one for two dates and the other for five dates. She intends to keep using it, because unlike the endless swiping on other dating apps, Sitch "feels more curated," she says. "I feel special when I get an introduction every week," Thawani says. "I wait for it." That kind of help and approach is "really our vision," Mullaji says. "[To] give every single person someone who can help guide them on the journey of learning about who they are, what they're looking for, finding that person, falling in love and staying in love." The company is planning to launch in Chicago and Austin by the end of 2025. "We hope that Sitch is global by 2030," Mullaji says. "That we have democratized access to having a matchmaker to help you make life's most important decision."
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
12 Next-Gen AI And Social Startups Backed By Thrive Capital And Y Combinator Shaping 2025: 'We're On The Brink Of Another Big Consumer Wave'
A new wave of AI-driven consumer startups is gaining traction among investors in 2025, with many of these platforms blending artificial intelligence with real-world interaction to reshape how people connect, discover, and build communities, Business Insider reports. Vanessa Larco, former New Enterprise Associates partner and founder of the venture firm Premise, told Business Insider, "We're on the brink of another big consumer wave" as interest returns to early-stage consumer tech startups. Don't Miss: Invest early in CancerVax's breakthrough tech aiming to disrupt a $231B market. Named a TIME Best Invention and Backed by 5,000+ Users, Kara's Air-to-Water Pod Cuts Plastic and Costs — The following 12 companies were identified by venture capitalists as emerging leaders across dating, social networking, faith, fashion, and in-person experience, with several being backed by top firms including Y Combinator and Thrive Capital. 1. Sitch This AI matchmaking app uses a chatbot trained by human matchmakers to suggest five setups per week, with tiers from $90 to $160, Business Insider reports. Larco, through Premise, has invested in the company as an angel investor. 2. Margins Margins is a social reading platform designed for the BookTok generation. Since launching in December, the app has grown to approximately 130,000 users. According to Business Insider, the startup has drawn interest from investors including Rhian Horton at Stellation Capital, though the firm has not backed the company to date. 3. Tolan Tolan is an AI companion platform designed to simulate conversation and connection. The startup is among those being closely watched by Larco, though she has not invested in the company, Business Insider says. 4. Swsh Swsh is a Gen Z-focused photo-sharing platform designed for live events like Rolling Loud and Electric Daisy Carnival Vegas. According to its website, Swsh uses AI to help users surface photos and videos from shared albums and includes group chat features for real-time connection. Trending: GoSun's Breakthrough Rooftop EV Charger Already Has 2,000+ Units Reserved — 5. Doji Virtual try-on for fashion, Doji uses AI to generate avatars showing designer clothes and raised $14 million in a Thrive Capital-led seed round, according to Business Insider. 6. Bible Chat An AI chatbot trained on the Bible, Bible Chat has 25 million users and $16 million in funding, Business Insider says. The company's funding reflects growing investor interest in spiritual AI platforms. 7. Series This Yale-founded professional networking app employs AI agents to connect early-career users. According to Business Insider, it has strong early-stage capital behind it, fueling interest from investors drawn to AI-driven professional tools. 8. Beli A real-world dining tracker, Beli gamifies restaurant visits with friend ranking in 30,000 cities and over 65 million ratings. The startup has raised $12 million in funding and highlights how AI and real-world interaction are fueling investor interest, Business Insider says. 9. Lore A fandom-centric AI platform, Lore is still in beta but has caught VC attention for its focus on niche communities, according to Business Insider. 10. Status Status is an AI-powered social platform that lets users interact with fictional characters designed to simulate social media experiences. The app was launched by a team that went through Y Combinator in 2022 and has attracted over 2.5 million users to date. Investors including FirstMark's Derek Chu and Patron's Amber Atherton named Status as a startup to watch, though neither firm has backed the company, Business Insider says.11. Spillt Called "Goodreads for recipes," Spillt lets users clip and share recipes and has collected over 400,000 items. Business Insider says that by combining social discovery and cooking, Spillt shows how niche apps build truly engaged communities. 12. Gigi Marketed as "the AI who knows everyone," Gigi connects users via personalized AI matchmaking. Gigi is co-founded by Clara Gold and backed by Intuition VC angel Hugo Amsellem, according to Business Insider. Artificial intelligence continues to shape the investment landscape in consumer startups. Paul Warren, CEO of Margins, told Business Insider that there have been "no real crazy big raises... unless it is a really strong gen AI angle." That shift in funding strategy is driving the rise of startups that combine AI with specific, high-engagement use cases. General platforms are losing ground to niche communities, Business Insider says. According to Warren, users are turning toward "much smaller things, cozier things, much more niche-oriented things." Read Next: Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article 12 Next-Gen AI And Social Startups Backed By Thrive Capital And Y Combinator Shaping 2025: 'We're On The Brink Of Another Big Consumer Wave' originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
TechCrunch
25-06-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Sitch's new dating app fuses human matchmaking and AI
Can AI improve the dating app market? A new dating app called Sitch aims to find out by leveraging human expertise in matchmaking to power its AI model. Today's dating apps bank on the speed of onboarding and having millions of options. Users create profiles within seconds by uploading photos and answering simple questions. The apps then rely on basic info and feedback from users' swipes to find them potential matches. Sitch aims to take a more thoughtful approach with its onboarding process and uses large language models (LLMs) to bring a human matchmaker's expertise to the dating app experience, helping people find potential matches without swiping. The startup was co-founded by Nandini Mullaji, whose knack for the dating market comes from her grandmother, also a matchmaker. She said that while companies like Match and Bumble dominate the space, people are still unsatisfied and not getting the matches they want. 'Matchmaking is a data problem. I have been good at matchmaking because I had so much more information about two people than a dating app would have. The data in those apps is insufficient to tell you if two people will have long-term compatibility,' Mullaji said. Image Credits: Sitch Mullaji, a Stanford Business School grad, has worked on various dating and education-related projects, including being involved with Bumble's launch in India. Co-founder Chad DePue was CTO of the anonymous social network Whisper and then worked at Snap. Mullaji noted that, up until recently — when large language models (LLMs) became more commonly available — it was hard to scale the human-in-the-loop experience of matchmaking. DePue added that the startup's goal is to extract data from profiles and pictures using LLMs and show personalized matches. Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW Essentially, Sitch built an AI version of Mullaji that helps users onboard by asking them details using almost 50 questions, which they can answer through text or voice. After the dater's profile is set up, the AI matchmaker displays its suggested matches. If both users agree to match with each other, the bot adds them to a group chat with the AI. At any point in time — even after their real-life dates — users can provide feedback about their matches to improve the AI's personalization. Image Credit: Sitch 'We are constantly surprised and thrilled by how much users trust us in terms of what users share when they are onboarding and when they later provide feedback,' DePue said. 'I think they are also sharing a lot more openly as they know this data is not being publicly shared.' The startup initially trained its AI models with more than 75 parameters for matchmaking provided by Mullaji, and tapped into her matchmaking skills to understand why she thought two people would match up. Then the company used feedback from the users to scale its models. To generate matches, Sitch determines the compatible and contrasting traits between two profiles. The company charges users per set-up (a match), and it sells set-ups in packs of three ($89.99), five ($124.99), and eight ($159.99). Sitch is backed by $5 million in funding from M13 and a16z. Anna Barber, a partner at M13, said that the venture firm was excited by the vision of a startup using AI to build a dating app. Image Credits:Sitch 'The way the founders are building the product maps is with how someone would work with an actual matchmaker. You would call the matchmaker before and after a date and constantly provide feedback. We felt that the idea of expanding a type of service that is personalized to a much wider audience who couldn't afford matchmakers,' Barber told TechCrunch over a call. 'A lot of the dating apps behave similarly to mobile games, where they are trying to extend your attention or gamify the user experience in order to engage more because it leads to more sales,' she added. 'With Sitch, since users are paying upfront, the team doesn't have to focus on these growth hacks.' Sitch currently offers its services just in New York, but plans to open up shop in more cities this year. The company said it's checking all profiles manually to maintain quality and safety. The startup may have its work cut out for it because larger companies, like Tinder, Bumble, and Grindr, are also infusing AI in different parts of their app experiences. Sitch is banking on the fact that people might be looking to move away from swipe-based apps, as the likes of Tinder and Bumble registered a slowdown last year. Plus, the company is confident that as users give the app more data and are intent on serious dating, it will stand out. The app is currently available on Apple's App Store.
Business Insider
23-04-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Can AI make dating apps feel more human? This startup that's raised $2 million thinks so.
AI is fueling renewed interest in consumer tech, including online dating. Sitch, a matchmaking app that uses AI to connect singles, raised a $2 million pre-seed investment, the startup revealed exclusively to Business Insider. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz's startup accelerator, A16z Speedrun, and includes the angel round Sitch raised in 2024 from investors like Jeremy Liew, who wrote Snapchat's first check. Fresh out of Speedrun's most recent cohort, Sitch cofounders Nandini Mullaji and Chad DePue are hiring full-time engineering and growth staff, planning to expand to new cities, and introducing voice-based AI. While many dating app users feel burned out by constant swiping and rampant ghosting, and dating industry giants like Tinder and Bumble face headwinds, new startups like Sitch are trying to shake up the dating app experience. "We understand people have been burned in the past," Mullaji told BI. "We are coming in and saying, 'Hey, we have a business model shift and we have a total platform shift.'" The platform shift? AI. Sitch's AI matchmaker chatbot — built using OpenAI — is trained on the hundreds of real-life introductions Mullaji has made as a part-time matchmaker. Mullaji sees AI as a way to "democratize" the matchmaking experience (which can cost individuals thousands of dollars) and bring it "to the masses." When signing up for Sitch, users answer a slew of questions about their dating priorities, values, and backgrounds, which Sitch uses to create a profile and curate potential matches. It presents users with a maximum of five potential "setups" each week. Users have to pay up front to access the setup features. Sitch offers three tiers of packages: $90 (for three setups), $125 (for five), and $160 (for eight). Once Sitch's AI matchmaker presents users with someone it deems may be a good fit, users can ask the chatbot questions about the other person, and the AI responds using information from their respective profiles. If both parties are interested in meeting, the AI introduces the two in a group chat. However, if an introduction occurs and you get ghosted, Mullaji said you'll be refunded. Sitch manually reviews new user applications, which Mullaji said is the "one part of our process that's still completely human-driven," as a quality control and safety measure while the platform grows. AI in dating is still nascent. Other early-stage startups, like Gigi or Amori, use AI to coach singles and help curate matches. Meanwhile, larger dating apps like Tinder and Grindr have introduced AI wingman features. Can AI make dating feel more … human? "This is not about building AI girlfriends or trying to replace human contact and connection with AI," Mullaji said. Instead, she thinks AI can be used to help better connect people. To give Sitch users a more "human-like experience," it is introducing voice-based AI features, Mullaji said. Starting this week, Sitch is rolling out a voice-based AI onboarding experience for new users as the app plans to expand into more US cities. Mullaji said San Francisco and Los Angeles will be added in May, and Chicago and Washington, D.C. will quickly follow. Users will otherwise be added to Sitch's waitlist, and if a particular US city reaches "critical mass," which Mullaji defined as between 2,000 and 4,000, Sitch will begin to admit users. It will also soon expand its voice AI tools to current app users. Instead of texting the AI matchmaking agent on the Sitch app, users will be able to talk to it on the phone with feedback about setups. Voice AI tech has become a hot category among venture capitalists. In 2024, voice AI startups raised over $398 million from VCs, according to PitchBook data. Sitch is using ElevenLabs, a voice cloning AI startup that announced a $180 million Series C round with a $3.3 billion valuation in January, to clone Mullaji's voice. "We spent a lot of time recording and re-recording my voice to see how we could actually have it sound human," Mullaji said. "The one thing you do not want this to feel like is a customer support bot."
