AI Dating Startup Keeper Raises $4M to Build ‘Soulmate’ Platform

Keeper, a dating startup built around AI-driven matchmaking, has raised $4 million in pre-seed funding as it looks to challenge traditional swipe-based dating apps with a more selective approach to pairing users. The company, founded in 2022, disclosed the funding for the first time this week, outlining how it plans to use artificial intelligence and human matchmakers to identify what it believes are long-term compatible partners.

The funding round, completed in October 2024, was led by Lightbank and Lakehouse Ventures, with participation from Goodwater Capital and Champion Hill Ventures. According to Keeper CEO Jake Kozloski, investors see artificial intelligence as a turning point for the dating app market, particularly as user fatigue with endless swiping and low-quality matches grows.

Keeper’s central pitch is that fewer, more deliberate matches can lead to better outcomes. “We’re saying we actually know who could be your soulmate or not,” Kozloski said. “We’re not going to waste your time and pretend that a hundred thousand of these people could be. We’ll tell you no.”

Unlike mainstream dating apps, Keeper requires users to complete an extensive onboarding process, which includes detailed personal information, career data, and philosophical views on relationships. The company then creates profiles on users’ behalf, rather than allowing self-curated bios. Initial filtering relies on traditional algorithms, with large language models later narrowing down a short list of potential matches.

Keeper says it has attracted more than 1.5 million sign-ups, with around 300,000 users creating full accounts. The company has not disclosed how many matches it has made, but claims that 10% of dates during its beta phase resulted in marriage or engagement. Human matchmakers are still involved in the process, and confirmed matches are introduced via text message.

The startup has also drawn attention for its unconventional pricing model. While women can use the service for free, male users pay per date and sign a so-called “marriage bounty” that can reach $50,000 if they marry through the platform.

Currently, Keeper only supports heterosexual matches, with Kozloski saying the company is focused on achieving product-market fit before expanding to other relationship types. As AI-powered features continue to spread across dating platforms from companies like Tinder and Bumble, Keeper is positioning itself as a high-stakes alternative aimed squarely at users seeking long-term commitment rather than casual connections.