Hinge founder raises $18M for AI dating service Overtone
Original: The founder of Hinge raised $18M to build a new AI dating service, Overtone
Why This Matters
Overtone signals a broader industry shift away from swipe-based dating toward AI-curated, high-quality matchmaking.
Justin McLeod, founder of Hinge, has raised $18 million to launch Overtone, a new AI-powered dating service described as voice- and audio-forward. Investors include Match Group, FirstMark Capital, and Pace Capital. The service is expected to launch later in 2026 in select locations.
Justin McLeod, who stepped down as Hinge CEO in 2025, has secured $18 million in funding for his new dating venture, Overtone. The round was backed by Match Group — which owns Hinge, Tinder, and OkCupid — along with FirstMark Capital and Pace Capital. Overtone describes itself as 'a voice- and audio-forward service, enabled by AI, that provides highly curated introductions.' McLeod explicitly distanced the product from conventional dating apps, writing: 'It's not a social platform with profiles that reduce people to stats, quotes and photos. There are no opaque, algorithmic feeds trained on split-second impulses.' The move comes as user dissatisfaction with dating apps grows. A 2024 Forbes Health survey of 1,000 respondents found that 78% of dating app users felt burnt out, despite spending roughly 51 minutes per day on these platforms. Overtone aims to use AI to make deeply considered matches grounded in 'relationship science,' rather than enabling mass swiping. Relationship expert Esther Perel and Match CEO Spencer Rascoff have joined the company's board. Similar AI-curated matchmaking apps, including Ditto and Date Drop, are pursuing comparable approaches. Overtone is expected to launch in limited locations later in 2026.