Hinge Founder Raises $18M for AI Dating Service Overtone

Hinge founder Justin McLeod has raised $18 million for his new company, Overtone, which he insists is not a dating app.

The announcement arrives at a moment when 78% of dating app users report feeling burnt out, according to a 2024 Forbes Health survey, and users spend an average of 51 minutes per day on these platforms without forming fulfilling connections.

McLeod himself criticizes the current model: opaque algorithmic feeds trained on split-second impulses, and the exhausting juggling of likes, matches, and chats.

The tension is that while most dating apps are trying to use AI for conversation starters or profile building, users are wary of delegating intimate processes to machines.

McLeod is instead betting on AI that learns about people deeply, in their own voice, rather than automating interactions.