SAN FRANCISCO — Known, an AI-driven matchmaking platform that uses voice-based interviews and a proprietary algorithm to pair users, launched in San Francisco in February 2026 and had attracted more than 10,000 local users by March. The app is one of several startups applying artificial intelligence to dating in ways that depart from the swipe-based model that has dominated the industry for over a decade.

Tinder and Bumble, each with more than 50 million monthly active users, both reported a decline in paying users in the last quarter of 2025 and said the cost of retaining those users had increased. Remaining users on both platforms were spending less time swiping on average than before.

"There's a real backlash. I've certainly been hearing more and more people who are just throwing in the towels on apps altogether," said Blaine Anderson, a matchmaker and dating coach.

Known's onboarding process centers on a voice conversation with an AI that lasts a minimum of 10 minutes. During the call, the AI asks questions such as how much users like to party, whether they need a partner who matches or complements their energy, and whether it matters if their partner is not very successful in their career. Celeste Amadon, cofounder of Known, said most users spend longer than 10 minutes on the onboarding call, revealing more personal information than on a typical dating app profile.

Amadon said Known's algorithm is based on the work of several love psychologists who emphasized matching based on values rather than interests. The platform delivers one match at a time to users rather than presenting a large pool of candidates. "We're not trying to provide you dozens, let alone hundreds, of matches," she said.

She estimated that the entire dating market in San Francisco is about 60,000 people and that in a city of 800,000, each person might have between five and 10 eligible matches. "Now we have a generation of people that has more optionality than anyone has ever had, and instead struggles with infinite indifference," she said.

Known is free to join but charges $15 for an introduction to a selected match. The company raised nearly $10 million in funding last year.

Known is not the only startup pursuing AI-powered matchmaking. Fate, an app that launched last year in London, interviews users with voice AI and delivers matches without swiping. Ditto, a college-focused dating app, gives users one match per week selected by an AI matchmaker. Three Day Rule, another AI matchmaking app that launched last year, offers on-demand coaching for $25 per month.