Match Group backs Hinge founder's $18M AI matchmaking startup

Justin McLeod, who stepped down as Hinge's CEO last year, has raised $18 million for Overtone. The funding round includes backing from Match Group, Hinge's parent company, alongside FirstMark Capital and Pace Capital. Relationship expert Esther Perel, Match CEO Spencer Rascoff and leadership advisor Diana Chapman will sit on the board.

Overtone is a voice- and audio-forward service that uses AI to offer highly curated introductions. "Overtone is not a dating app," McLeod wrote. "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."

Match Group’s decision to financially back a potential challenge to the swipe model underscores a strategic shift for the industry giant, which also owns Tinder and OkCupid. A 2024 Forbes Health survey of 1,000 users found that 78 percent feel burnt out, spending an average of 51 minutes daily on apps without finding fulfilling connections. Legacy platforms have long relied on maximizing user screen time, but investors are now recognizing that this engagement-driven model is eroding long-term retention.

While some competitors are deploying AI to generate conversation starters or automate profile writing, McLeod is betting on using the technology to restrict choice rather than expand it. This represents a fundamental shift in how dating platforms monetize user attention. "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. We transparently explain why we believe someone is a great match."

Overtone joins a cohort of new entrants, including Ditto and Date Drop, that use artificial intelligence to pair users directly. These startups are actively abandoning the pooled swipe feeds that create the illusion of endless choice. Overtone will launch later this year in select locations to test if users prefer this curated approach.