Hinge founder Justin McLeod announced an $18 million fundraising for his new dating company, Overtone.

McLeod stepped down from his CEO role at Hinge last year, and Hinge owner Match Group, which also owns apps like Tinder and OkCupid, is helping fund his new venture, along with FirstMark Capital and Pace Capital.

While details about the company are limited at this time, Overtone describes itself as “an AI-enabled voice and audio streaming service that delivers highly curated presentations.”

“Overtone is not a dating app,” McLeod wrote in the blog post. “By this I mean that it is not a social platform with profiles that reduce people to statistics, quotes and photos. There are no opaque algorithmic feeds trained on split-second impulses. And there is no juggling of likes, matches and chats between many people at once.”

It may seem strange that the guy who created Hinge would look down on algorithmic feeds and swiping, but the dating industry as a whole is evolving with the realization that users are dissatisfied with the status quo. A Forbes Health survey conducted in 2024 found that 78% of dating app users felt burned out. The 1,000 respondents reported spending about 51 minutes per day on dating apps, but this time investment didn’t often lead to satisfying connections.

Most dating apps try to improve their matchmaking quality through AI, offering AI-generated conversation starters or profile creation assistance. But many people are frustrated with the idea of ​​delegating even more of this intimate process to computers. McLeod seems more interested in using AI to determine who might be a good fit, rather than outsourcing real conversations and connections.

“We get to know each person deeply, learning about them in their own voice, hearing their own unique story,” McLeod wrote. “And we only make introductions that are worthwhile, based on relationship science and thoughtful reflection. We transparently explain why we think someone is a great match.”

Other new apps like Ditto and Date Drop take a similar approach, using AI to match users, rather than putting everyone in a group to swipe on each other, creating the illusion of endless options and a hotbed of ghosting.

Overtone will be available later this year, but only in select locations. In addition to its fundraising, the company also announced that relationship expert Esther Perel has joined the board along with Match CEO Spencer Rascoff and leadership advisor Diana Chapman.