AI Voice Dating Platform Known Scores $9.7M as Dating Apps Shift Away From Swiping

The loneliness crisis reshaping modern romance just caught the attention of serious investors. San Francisco-based dating startup Known has raised $9.7 million from backers including Forerunner Ventures and NFX, marking a pivotal moment where voice-powered AI is beginning to replace the tired swipe-based matching model.

How Voice AI Changes the Dating Game

Founders Celeste Amadon and Asher Allen discovered something unexpected while building restaurant-booking features: people actually want to talk. When they introduced voice-based conversations into their user onboarding process, the average session stretched to 26 minutes—some users spent nearly two hours having AI-guided conversations about their preferences, lifestyle, and dating goals.

“The traditional profile-filling approach requires people to make predictions about themselves that don’t feel natural,” Amadon explained. “With voice, you get authentic responses because conversations flow dynamically. If someone just moved to the city, the AI naturally asks what they’re discovering about their new neighborhood.”

This conversational depth enables the platform to make dramatically better introductions. During beta testing in San Francisco, 80% of Known’s matches resulted in actual in-person dates—significantly outperforming swipe-based competitors where most interactions never leave the app.

Eurie Kim and Forerunner’s Investment Thesis

Eurie Kim, partner at Forerunner Ventures, highlighted why this approach appeals to investors: “Traditional matchmakers charge $10,000 to have deep conversations about unspoken desires and relationship needs. Celeste recognized that young women, in particular, have nuanced preferences they’d never articulate in a static profile. A conversation surfaces those layers naturally.”

This represents Forerunner’s first dating app investment, signaling institutional confidence that the category is evolving beyond swipe mechanics.

Product Architecture and Revenue Model

The platform combines several mechanisms designed to drive real-world meetings. After voice-based discovery conversations, Known’s AI suggests matches and facilitates two 24-hour windows—one to accept an introduction, another to confirm a date. This compressed timeline discourages endless chatting and ghosting.

The app also integrates calendar availability and restaurant preferences, helping users plan first dates directly through the platform. During beta, Known charged $30 per successful date, though founders remain flexible on pricing models as they scale.

Competitive Landscape Heating Up

Other startups are pursuing similar AI-matching strategies—Justin McLeod’s new app Overtone attempts to democratize premium matchmaking services. Meanwhile, incumbent apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge are layering AI features to retain users.

Amadon welcomes the competition: “The shift away from swiping is real. What matters is that most teams building this are approaching it differently than we are. The market is expanding, not consolidating around one winner.”

Known currently operates in beta in San Francisco with plans to expand early next year. The team consists of three full-time engineers and four go-to-market staff, with the fresh capital earmarked for scaling both product and distribution.

For a generation grappling with unprecedented dating friction, voice AI represents a genuine departure from the psychology of superficial swiping—and investors are betting that conversation, not pictures, will rebuild how people actually meet.