Hinge founder raises $18M for new AI dating service Overtone

In short: Hinge founder Justin McLeod raised $18 million to build Overtone, a new dating service that uses AI to make curated introductions and focuses on voice.

What happened

Justin McLeod, the founder of Hinge, announced an $18 million fundraise for his new company, Overtone. McLeod stepped down as CEO of Hinge last year to start the new project.

Match Group, which owns Hinge and other dating apps like Tinder and OkCupid, is helping fund Overtone. The round also includes FirstMark Capital and Pace Capital.

Overtone says it is “voice and audio forward” and “enabled by AI.” In plain terms, it plans to learn about people by listening to them, then use AI, which is software that finds patterns in information, to narrow down who might be a good match. McLeod wrote that Overtone is “not a dating app” in the usual sense, and he criticized endless feeds, swiping, and juggling many chats at once.

Overtone is expected to launch later this year, but only in certain locations. The company also said relationship expert Esther Perel joined its board, along with Match CEO Spencer Rascoff and leadership advisor Diana Chapman.

Why it matters

Many people say today’s dating apps can feel like scrolling a catalog instead of meeting a person. A 2024 Forbes Health survey found 78% of dating app users felt burned out, and respondents reported spending about 51 minutes per day on these apps.

Overtone is part of a broader push to use AI more like a matchmaker than a chat assistant, more like a friend making a thoughtful introduction than a slot machine of endless choices.

Source: TechCrunch AI