Hinge Founder Raises $18M for New Dating Company Overtone

Justin McLeod, the founder of Hinge, has secured an $18 million investment for his new venture, Overtone. McLeod, who stepped down as CEO of Hinge last year, has garnered support from Hinge owner Match Group, as well as FirstMark Capital and Pace Capital. Overtone, described as a voice- and audio-forward service powered by AI that offers highly curated introductions, aims to redefine the dating experience.

McLeod emphasized that Overtone is not a conventional dating app but rather a platform that seeks to create meaningful connections without the use of algorithmic feeds and swiping. With a growing dissatisfaction among users of dating apps, McLeod's approach highlights a move towards using AI to identify potential matches rather than relying on AI for entire conversations and connections. Overtone is joining other new apps like Ditto and Date Drop in utilizing AI to facilitate meaningful connections.

The company also revealed that relationship expert Esther Perel has joined its board, alongside Match CEO Spencer Rascoff and leadership advisor Diana Chapman. Overtone is set to launch later this year in select locations.