Known leverages voice AI to facilitate more in-person dating opportunities.
Image Credits:Known
Innovating Dating: Known Introduces AI-Powered In-Person Connections
Celeste Amadon and Asher Allen are revolutionizing the dating landscape with their startup, Known. Initially, they focused on developing an app that utilized AI to book restaurants for dates. However, their journey unveiled a bigger vision: fostering genuine in-person connections. As this innovative approach gains traction among investors, it’s clear that Known is set to disrupt the traditional dating model.
Voice-Powered AI Onboarding: Redefining User Experience
At the heart of Known’s success lies its unique voice-powered AI onboarding system. This innovative feature enables users to share their preferences and personalities without the hassle of filling out lengthy forms. Instead of standard questionnaire responses, users engage in natural conversations, allowing the AI to gather deep insights about their dating preferences.
The data they’ve collected is telling. Users tend to enjoy conversing, resulting in an impressive average onboarding time of 26 minutes. This discovery has positioned Known as a potential game-changer in the dating app landscape.
A Higher Success Rate for In-Person Dates
Initial testing in San Francisco reveals promising results for Known, with 80% of introductions leading to in-person dates, significantly outperforming conventional swipe-based dating applications. The positive reception has garnered $9.7 million in funding from notable investors, including Forerunner, NFX, Pear VC, and Coelius Capital. Forerunner’s investment in Known marks their first venture into the dating app sector.
Eurie Kim, a partner at Forerunner, praised Amadon’s understanding of the young female consumer demographic. He noted that her ability to uncover unexpressed desires and needs through a conversational lens differentiates Known from other dating platforms often focused on male users.
Tackling the Loneliness Epidemic
Celeste Amadon is not just focused on creating a successful dating app; she sees it as a solution to a critical social issue—loneliness among her generation. With numerous studies highlighting the loneliness epidemic in the U.S., Amadon asserts that addressing this problem can have a meaningful impact.
“We’ve seen countless articles discussing the loneliness epidemic in our country. I genuinely believe it’s one of the most pressing issues for my generation,” Amadon stated, reflecting on her decision to drop out of Stanford to dedicate herself to Known.
A Unique Onboarding Experience
The voice AI onboarding process employed by Known differentiates it from competitors. Users engage in a more relatable and natural manner, with AI dynamically responding and asking follow-up questions that create a richer interaction. For instance, if a user has just relocated to the city, the AI can inquire about their experiences and preferences regarding their new environment.
Once the onboarding process concludes, the AI presents users with personalized match suggestions. Users can easily express their interest in profiles, creating a streamlined matching process. Notably, users have 24 hours to accept a match and another 24 hours to agree on a date, minimizing ghosting and encouraging real-life meetings.
Enhancing the Dating Experience with Restaurant Recommendations
Though Known initially began with a restaurant-booking focus, it seamlessly integrates this aspect into its current model. The app recommends restaurants tailored to user preferences, allowing people to find suitable dining options for their dates. With AI chat and calendar features, users can also signal their availability, further simplifying the scheduling process.
Currently, during the app’s beta phase, users are charged $30 for a successful date. However, Amadon indicates that the startup is open to exploring different pricing models based on market feedback.
Building a Strong Team and Future Plans
Known’s current operations include a full-time staff of three engineers and four employees focusing on market strategy, alongside several contractors across various functions. With the recent capital injection, Amadon and Allen plan to expand their team to further enhance their app’s capabilities.
Known is currently in the testing stage in San Francisco, with plans to launch more broadly in the coming year. As the startup continues to improve its offerings, it faces competition from various new and existing dating applications. In particular, Overtone, a fresh initiative by Hinge CEO Justin McLeod, aims at deploying AI for in-depth user insights, while established platforms like Tinder and Bumble are also adding AI elements to remain relevant.
Embracing Competition in the Dating Space
Despite the growing competition, Amadon welcomes the influx of startups in the dating sphere. She believes the rise of these alternative models indicates a collective readiness to move away from swipe-based systems that have dominated the market for years.
“I’ve been thrilled to see more startups entering this space. It reflects an industry shift away from traditional swiping, and mostly, they’re quite distinct from what we’re building at Known,” Amadon remarked.
Conclusion: A New Era in Dating
Known’s innovative approach to dating represents a significant shift in how people connect. By leveraging AI technology to foster more meaningful interactions, Amadon and Allen are addressing one of the fundamental challenges facing today’s society. With their unique onboarding experience and focus on enabling in-person connections, they are paving the way for a future where dating apps can become genuine facilitators of relationships, contributing positively to the reduction of loneliness in our increasingly digital world.
The landscape for dating applications is evolving, and with Known leading the charge, it’s an exciting time for users seeking authentic connections. As they prepare for their launch, the results from their beta testing in San Francisco serve as a promising precursor to broader success, signaling a potential new chapter in the world of dating.
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