Sitch
Setting the Scene
Modern dating apps are built on misaligned incentives: they aim to keep users on-platform—monetizing attention through ads and subscriptions—while users are trying to delete the app.
This results in:
Superficial engagement and low-intent interactions.
User fatigue and a lack of intention behind swiping.
Limited matchmaking quality due to poor data and one-size-fits-all algorithms
This week’s company is redefining the dating category with an AI-driven matchmaking service where users only pay for successful, mutual matches—aligning incentives with outcomes.
In a Sentence
Sitch is an AI-powered matchmaking platform that makes high-intent introductions.
AI-powered: You share your preferences through a detailed intake and ongoing voice or text chats with a personal AI matchmaker that learns and adapts over time.
Matchmaking platform: A human-like chatbot facilitates warm intros and places matches into a group chat—like being set up by a mutual friend.
High-intent introductions: Users only pay when both sides opt in, increasing the likelihood that matches lead to real dates.
Bulleted Version:
- Imagine your most intuitive friend setting you up over group chat—except it’s AI, and it knows thousands of people.
The Basics
- Headquarters: NYC
- Employee Count: 4
- Investors:
A16Z, Jeremy Liew, and others
- Funding amount: $2M pre-seed round, seed to be announced very soon
- Business model: Pay per setup—users buy a pack of intros and only pay when both parties opt in
- Early traction: $600K ARR (for April in NYC) with ~10k users in NYC, and 1000s on waitlists across the US
Due Diligence
WHAT WE LIKE
Category Tailwinds: According to a 2023 study, 39% of couples now meet online—making dating apps the most common way Americans meet their partners (check out this fascinating study) despite growing user dissatisfaction.
Business Model: Users only paying when both sides opt in, flips the incentive model of dating apps and reinforcing intent.
Hyper Personalized: A hyper personalized sign up form and combining AI with voice and text interactions creates a matchmaking experience that’s personal, warm, and scalable.
POTENTIAL RISKS
Market Saturation: Even with a new model, building a dating product is notoriously hard—crowded with incumbents, noise, and users with limited trust or patience for new platforms.
Retention Dynamics: While early traction is strong, long-term engagement and repeat behavior (after a successful match) remains unproven—there may be a reason no other model has cracked dating.
Educational Challenge: The high-intent, pay-per-match model is compelling—but educating users and shifting expectations from swipe culture will take time.
Founder Profile
Nandini Mullaji: 2x consumer founder and Stanford GSB.
Chad DePue: Previously Senior Director at Snap, CTO, Whisper and SVP Eng, Uniswa.
Comps
Tawkify: Backed by Palapa Ventures, Sidecar Angels, StartX
Why Sitch
Sitch is reinventing the matchmaking playbook with AI-driven curation and a pay-for-results model—setting the company up for success.
