Ditto Launches AI Friendship Matching With Bay Area Bestie

AI dating startup Ditto has launched Bay Area Bestie, a new service helping people find friends in San Francisco. The feature was developed by Ditto creative director Elsa Cai, who wanted to meet more women working in the city’s tech industry. The launch marks Ditto’s first move into platonic matchmaking.

Ditto AI friendship matching works through text messages. Users sign up with a work or school email, complete a selfie verification check, and tell Ditto what kind of friend they want. Every Wednesday, the AI introduces them to someone nearby with shared interests. Both people must be interested in meeting.

Despite its female-focused branding, Bay Area Bestie welcomes everyone aged 18 and over. The service is free and currently limited to the San Francisco Bay Area. Ditto CEO Allen Wang said the launch attracted 826,000 views and thousands of sign-ups within 24 hours.

Ditto was founded by Allen Wang and Eric Liu as an AI dating service for college students. It arranges matches through text messages rather than swiping and helps users organise dates. The company passed 200,000 sign-ups in September and raised $9.2 million earlier this year. Ditto AI friendship matching now extends that model beyond romantic relationships.