Celeste Amadon and Asher Allen initially developed an app employing AI to reserve restaurants for dates, but they soon uncovered a more significant concept that promotes real-world meetings. This idea is now gaining traction with investors. The pair designed a voice-driven AI onboarding system for their application, enabling them to gather user information without requiring form completion. Their finding was clear: users enjoyed speaking, which extended the average onboarding session to 26 minutes. This innovation led to the founding of Known, a dating startup based in San Francisco. Amadon explained, “Our take is that for the first time, we could know enough about somebody to serve them a date that would make sense. And if we could do that much faster with less rejection rate, we could create a user experience that could get people out on more dates.”

Early outcomes indicated their approach had promise. During testing in San Francisco, Known reported that 80% of its introductions resulted in in-person dates, a rate substantially higher than typical swipe-based dating apps. Encouraged by these results, the startup secured $9.7 million in funding from investors such as Forerunner and NFX, as well as PearVC and Coelius Capital. This investment marks Forerunner's first venture into dating apps. An investor noted, “Celeste is a really thoughtful founder to understand the mindset of the consumer, which is a young female, to be honest. There are other people who can be focused on the male demographic, but she is focused on the young female who has a lot of unspoken desires and needs that, if you put them in a profile, they would never say, this versus that.” Amadon shared that she has long been passionate about large-scale social impact and views dating as a fundamental challenge for her generation. “There’s been a million pieces written about the loneliness epidemic in the U.S. And I do really think that it’s our generation’s largest problem,” said Amadon, who, alongside Allen, left Stanford to establish the startup.

Currently in beta testing in San Francisco, the app utilizes voice AI-powered onboarding to pose multiple questions to users, eliminating the need for forms. According to Amadon, this method allows the startup to gain deeper insights into users and offer better matches, with one user’s onboarding lasting an hour and 38 minutes. Known observed that when users type responses, they tend to edit them, whereas voice interactions create a more personal connection. The AI can dynamically ask follow-up questions based on the dialogue; for example, if someone recently relocated, it might inquire about their experiences so far. After onboarding, the AI proposes potential matches, and users can query AI agents about these profiles. If interested, they can select “interested.” Once a match is made, both parties have 24 hours to accept the introduction and another 24 hours to agree on a date. This system aims to minimize prolonged chats and ghosting, instead encouraging real-life meetings. Following dates, users can provide feedback to the AI, leading to more tailored match recommendations. Known hasn’t abandoned its restaurant concept entirely; the app also assists in selecting dining spots based on user preferences. Through AI chat and calendar integrations, users can share their availability for first dates. In the beta phase, the company charged $30 per successful date, but it remains flexible on pricing and plans to test various models to determine the most effective payment approach.

At present, the startup employs three full-time engineers and four individuals focused on go-to-market strategies, with several contractors supporting across all functions. Amadon, whose background includes political internships, and Allen, who previously worked on product at the AI-powered shopping app Phia, intend to expand their team with the new funding. Known is conducting tests in San Francisco and aims to launch early next year. It joins a growing field of new startups, like Hinge CEO Justin McLeod’s Overtone, that leverage AI to understand users better and facilitate matches. Some aspire to replicate the personalized services of high-cost matchmakers at a much lower price. Established platforms such as Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge are also integrating AI features to maintain user engagement. Despite increasing competition, Amadon welcomes the trend. “When it comes to other startup dating products, I’ve been so happy to see a lot of people building in the space because I think it shows that it’s time to shift away from a swipe-based model. And I think most of them that I’ve seen have been pretty different from what we’re building at Known,” she said.