San Francisco-based dating startup Known is making headlines as it employs innovative voice AI technology to assist individuals in securing more in-person dates. Known was co-founded by Celeste Amadon and Asher Allen. Along the way, they’ve raised $9.7 million in funding from storied investors such as Forerunner, NFX, Pear VC, and Coelius Capital. The company aims to transform the dating landscape by enhancing user interactions through advanced technology.
Known’s app is still in private beta testing, with an initial rollout in San Francisco. Second, it transforms the onboarding experience through intuitive voice AI-powered interactions that eliminate cumbersome form-filling. This human touch goes a long way in making the app prompt users with questions organically, like a real conversation. This way, it learns more about their style preference and personality. Onboarding sessions average just over 26 minutes apiece. Yet some users can spend nearly an hour and 38 minutes to complete the process.
“Loneliness is a big problem for my generation” Celeste Amadon, co-founder of Known “There’s been a million pieces written about the loneliness epidemic in the U.S. I do really think that it’s our generation’s largest problem,” she stated. With this challenge in mind, the founders conceptualized Known while developing an app that utilized AI for restaurant bookings for dates.
Known’s voice AI technology addresses this common issue directly. By cutting out the cookie-cutter profiles and allowing for more human, nuanced conversations, it provides more tailored date recommendations. Amadon emphasized the potential impact of this technology: “Our take is that for the first time, we could know enough about somebody to serve them a date that would make sense. If we’re able to move the process along quicker and approval rate is higher, then we improve the user experience. We hope these changes bring you closer to that next date!
The beta phase has proven successful with 80% of their introductions resulting in in-person dates. As further proof of its innovative business model, Known plans to charge users $30 for each successful date it helps facilitate through the app. This concerted strategy ensures accountability and helps further align the company’s business practices with the needs of its users.
Today, Known operates on an intentionally small but highly productive team. That includes three full-time engineers, four go-to-market strategists and a number of other contractors that fill in key operational areas. As for the startup, it plans to launch in early 2024 and will branch out its services to jurisdictions beyond San Francisco.
Amadon was hopeful about the changing landscape of dating tech. “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,” she remarked. She knows that we are all attempting different things on the startup side. What, for Claudia, makes Known really special is its deep focus on conversation-driven soulmate matchmaking.
The investment from Forerunner represents a big vote of confidence, as this is the first dating app investment for Forerunner. Eurie Kim from Forerunner called Amadon’s dream and knowledge of her demographic the “North Star.” “Celeste is a really thoughtful founder to understand the mindset of the consumer, which is a young female, to be honest,” Kim stated. Kyle added that most personal matchmaking services have been prohibitively costly and out of reach for many, so the accessible model that Known offers is very attractive.