AI Matchmaker Ditto Secures $9.2 Million Seed Funding to Replace Swiping Apps
Founded by UC Berkeley dropouts, the text-based service automates real-life dates for Gen Z college students tired of swiping.
San Francisco-based AI matchmaking startup Ditto has raised $9.2 million in seed funding to expand its automated dating service across U.S. college campuses, tapping into growing Gen Z dissatisfaction with traditional swiping platforms like Tinder and Hinge.
The funding round drew backing from venture firms including Gradient, Peak XV, and Scribble, alongside angel investors such as Duolingo co-founder Severin Hacker. Most investor interest arrived through unsolicited inbound outreach following viral marketing campaigns, according to the company.
Founded by UC Berkeley dropouts Allen Wang and Eric Liu, Ditto bypasses standard app stores entirely, operating through iMessage. Students sign up using campus-specific codes and complete an automated text interview detailing their personality traits and dating preferences, with some users uploading photos of celebrity crushes to train the system.
Instead of matching people on surface-level hobbies, Ditto’s algorithm analyzes behavioral signals to predict chemistry. Every Wednesday at 7 p.m., the platform messages users with a single match, providing a designated time and venue for a date.
“If there’s this guy, and he’s really into rock climbing, skydiving, and outdoor sports, and this girl, if she’s into hip hop, streetwear, and skateboarding, then even though those hobbies don’t look similar on the surface, I can tell you deeper down, both are very adventurous,” founder Allen Wang said. “Our claim is that chemistry is actually predictable with the right signals.”
The service has logged 150,000 signups across several dozen universities. About 20% of matches generated by Ditto result in an actual in-person date, removing the friction of drawn-out messaging that leads many young users to abandon conventional dating apps.
“It comes with the person, it comes with a time, it comes with a location, and the users simply just need to show up and date each other and come back,” Wang said. “We’ll collect more feedback about the date, and then improve our understanding of the user, and send them to a better next date.”
To manage safety when arranging immediate offline meetups, Ditto restricts access to students who verify their identities with active .edu university email addresses. The company is evaluating security protocols as it plans to expand beyond higher education institutions into wider markets.
Ditto operates with 12 full-time employees in San Francisco and relies on unconventional marketing strategies, including public robot stunts and a job listing for a “Chief Yacht Officer” to host promotional campus events.
“Our users are college students, and they can smell corporate marketing from a mile away,” Wang said. “Viral moments get college kids to look; a good first date is what makes them stay.”
