Ditto, an AI-powered dating startup founded by UC Berkeley dropouts Allen Wang and Eric Liu, has secured $9.2 million in seed funding led by venture capital firm Peak XV, with participation from Alumni Ventures, Gradient, and Scribble Ventures. The company, which launched in early 2025, aims to revolutionize college dating by using artificial intelligence to match users and plan their dates, moving away from the traditional swiping model that has dominated the industry for over a decade.
The platform operates through a unique text-based interface where users communicate directly with Ditto’s AI chatbot without needing to download an app. After completing a profile questionnaire, users share their dating preferences and “type” with the AI agent. Every Wednesday, Ditto sends potential matches via text, complete with photo collages. The AI then handles date planning and follows up afterward to gather feedback, which feeds into its machine learning algorithms for future matchmaking improvements.
Ditto’s AI technology goes beyond surface-level matching. According to Wang, 23, the system simulates potential dates by analyzing profile details including hobbies, interests, humor levels, vibes, and values. The AI performs image analysis, attractiveness assessment, profile tagging, and runs through scenarios like “first impression” and “conversation flow” before presenting a match. “We’re bringing people back to in-real-life interactions,” Wang explained, positioning Ditto as an antidote to what he calls users being “trapped behind the apps.”
The startup has already attracted approximately 42,000 users across several California college campuses, following the playbook of early dating app successes like Tinder, which initially gained traction through college marketing. With the fresh capital, Ditto plans to expand to more campuses nationwide and invest heavily in AI talent, growth teams, and marketing initiatives. The company currently employs 10 staff members and has raised $9.5 million total to date.
Ditto’s growth strategy includes experiential marketing through yacht parties, beginning with a Valentine’s Day event in Los Angeles where 100 college students will sign up and be paired into 50 couples. The service remains free as the company prioritizes user growth over monetization, though Wang indicated they’re researching pricing models through user interviews. Ditto joins a growing wave of AI dating startups including Sitch, Known, and Amata, all positioning AI-powered matchmaking as the next evolution beyond traditional dating apps.
Key Quotes
We’re bringing people back to in-real-life interactions
Allen Wang, Ditto’s 23-year-old co-founder, explained the company’s core mission to Business Insider. This statement positions Ditto as a solution to the digital fatigue many dating app users experience, emphasizing real-world connections over endless online messaging.
People are tired of being trapped behind the apps
Wang articulated the problem Ditto aims to solve, tapping into widespread frustration with traditional dating apps. This insight drives the company’s strategy of using AI to facilitate actual dates rather than prolonging digital interactions.
Would you guys have a good conversation? Do you guys have matched humor level? Do you guys have similar vibes and values?
Wang described the sophisticated analysis Ditto’s AI performs when evaluating potential matches. These questions illustrate how the platform attempts to go beyond superficial compatibility to assess deeper interpersonal dynamics through artificial intelligence.
College kids are very adaptive to new technology
Wang explained why Ditto targets college students as early adopters, following the successful playbook used by Tinder and other dating apps. This demographic’s openness to innovation makes them ideal users for testing AI-powered matchmaking technology.
Our Take
Ditto’s funding success represents a fascinating inflection point where AI moves from content generation and productivity tools into the deeply personal realm of romantic relationships. The startup’s approach—using AI agents to simulate dates and assess compatibility—raises intriguing questions about whether algorithms can truly understand human chemistry and connection. While the technology sounds promising, the real test will be whether AI-matched couples actually form lasting relationships compared to traditional methods. The competitive rush of multiple AI dating startups suggests investors believe this market is ripe for disruption, but it also means Ditto will need to prove its AI delivers superior matches to justify its valuation. The shift from app-based swiping to AI-curated experiences could either revolutionize dating or reveal the limitations of algorithmic matchmaking. Either way, this represents an important experiment in human-AI collaboration for one of life’s most personal decisions.
Why This Matters
This funding round signals growing investor confidence in AI’s ability to disrupt the dating industry, which has remained relatively stagnant since the mobile app revolution of the 2010s. Ditto’s success reflects a broader trend of AI agents moving beyond simple chatbots to become active intermediaries in social interactions, raising important questions about how artificial intelligence will shape human relationships and social dynamics.
The startup’s focus on Gen Z college students is strategically significant as this demographic increasingly expresses dissatisfaction with swipe-based dating apps, citing superficiality and “dating app fatigue.” If AI-powered matchmaking proves more effective at creating meaningful connections, it could fundamentally reshape how young people meet romantic partners and potentially challenge established players like Tinder and Bumble, which are scrambling to integrate AI features themselves.
The competitive landscape is heating up rapidly, with multiple well-funded AI dating startups emerging simultaneously, suggesting venture capitalists see this as a major market opportunity. The success or failure of these platforms will provide crucial data about consumer willingness to trust AI with intimate personal decisions and could set precedents for AI agents in other social domains.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/read-pitch-deck-college-ai-matchmaking-dating-app-ditto-seed-2026-2