Known Raises on Voice AI to Push Dating Back Offline
A new San Francisco-based dating startup is taking aim at swipe fatigue by using voice-based AI to encourage users to meet in person more quickly. Known, founded by Celeste Amadon and Asher Allen, is built around a conversational onboarding system that replaces traditional profiles and forms with extended voice interactions. The app has allegedly raised $9.7M in funding from its investors, namely Forerunner, NFX, PearVC and Coelius Capital.
The company’s origins trace back to an earlier idea focused on automating restaurant bookings for dates. While developing that product, the founders discovered that users were willing to spend far more time talking to an AI than filling out written questionnaires. According to the company, the average onboarding conversation now lasts about 26 minutes, with some users spending well over an hour. That depth, the founders argue, allows the app to understand preferences and nuances that rarely show up in text profiles.
“Our take is that for the first time, we could know enough about somebody to serve them a date that would make sense. And if we could do that much faster with less rejection rate, we could create a user experience that could get people out on more dates,” Amadon said.
Early testing suggests the approach may be resonating. During a limited beta in San Francisco, Known reports that roughly 80% of its introductions resulted in in-person dates, a figure that significantly exceeds typical conversion rates for swipe-based dating apps. On the back of these results, the startup has raised $9.7 million in funding from investors including Forerunner, NFX, Pear VC, and Coelius Capital. Forerunner’s participation is notable as its first investment in a dating app.
In its beta phase, Known charged users $30 per successful date, though the company says pricing is still experimental. The team currently operates with a small staff and plans to expand using its new funding. The app remains in testing in San Francisco, with a broader launch planned for early next year.
