Hinge founder moves on from dating apps to create a new AI service

Justin McLeod, founder of the Hinge platform, has unveiled a project called Overtone, aiming to revolutionize the digital dating world. He has already successfully raised $18 million in funding to develop this startup. The main goal of the project is to free users from the tedious "swiping" and endless lists of profiles found in traditional dating apps. This is reported by Techcrunch.com reports .

Notably, the financing for the new project includes Match Group, the holding company that owns popular apps like Tinder and OkCupid, as well as venture capital firms FirstMark Capital and Pace Capital. After stepping down as CEO of Hinge last year, Justin McLeod began working on a completely different approach to solve existing problems in the dating industry.

Overtone: Not a dating app, but a personal assistant

In a blog post, McLeod emphasized that Overtone is not a dating app in the traditional sense. According to him, this platform will not feature profiles that reduce people to mere statistics, quotes, and photos. The service relies primarily on voice communication and AI capabilities to organize highly curated introductions for users.

A 2024 study by Forbes Health shows that 78% of dating app users experience burnout. Although people spend an average of 51 minutes a day on these apps, it rarely leads to meaningful relationships. Overtone aims to solve this exact problem by focusing on quality rather than quantity.

According to ixbt.com, the platform uses AI to deeply understand each person, listening to their voice and unique stories. The system then selects the most compatible candidates based on relationship psychology and transparently explains why a specific person is a good match. This process frees the user from the obligation of browsing through hundreds of profiles.

Experts and future plans

To ensure the project's success, experts such as renowned relationship therapist Esther Perel, Match Group board member Spencer Rascoff, and leadership consultant Diana Chapman have been brought onto the board of directors. This indicates that Overtone is not just a technological development, but a serious project with a psychological foundation.

Currently, other new apps like Ditto and Date Drop are also testing AI-based matchmaking methods. However, McLeod's experience and the support of major investors could make Overtone a market leader. The service is scheduled to launch in select regions later this year.

Such technologies are naturally of interest to users in Uzbekistan as well. The local market is seeing a rise in digital dating culture, yet many are tired of the superficial approach of existing apps. AI-based voice assistants are expected to help restore genuine communication between people in the future.