The Ditto app replaces swiping in dating apps with AI matching based on personality
The Ditto dating app replaces swiping with an AI algorithm that matches users based on personality traits. According to the company, it has 150 000 sign-ups, 20 % of matched pairs go on a date, and pairs go out every Wednesday at 19:00.
The Ditto app, founded by Allen Wang and Eric Liu after leaving UC Berkeley, replaces traditional swiping in dating apps with an AI algorithm that matches users based on an analysis of personality traits. Users sign up via a text message on iMessage, where an AI chatbot guides them through onboarding – first collecting basic details (name, gender, date of birth), then asking more detailed questions about their personality, interests and dating preferences; some users also upload photos of celebrities they find attractive.
According to co-founder Wang, the algorithm looks for similarities not in specific hobbies, but in what those hobbies reveal about a person's character – for example, an interest in adrenaline sports and an interest in hip hop and streetwear may be linked by shared traits of adventurousness and individualism. Every Wednesday at 19:00, users receive a message with a match for their date, including the person, time and place; the company then collects feedback to improve future matches.
According to the company, Ditto has 150 000 sign-ups, with about 20 % of matched pairs actually going on a date. The app currently operates only at a few dozen colleges and universities and requires a university .edu email address, which serves as a basic identity check for users. According to the source, the company raised 9.2 million dollars in seed funding from investors such as Gradient, Peak XV and Scribble, with most investors approaching the company themselves based on its popularity on social media. Ditto is based in San Francisco, has twelve full-time employees and is also hiring for a “Chief Yacht Officer" role for promotional events.
Why it matters
For dating app users, this is an example of an alternative to swipe-based apps, where an algorithm takes over decision-making and the user simply shows up for a scheduled date instead of choosing from profiles – according to the company, the rate of actual meetings among matched pairs is 20 %, which the company presents as greater effectiveness than traditional dating apps. For the industry, it signals that investors are willing to fund narrowly focused AI products targeting Generation Z with unconventional marketing (viral stunts) instead of paid user acquisition.
Two audiences, two different impacts
What this means
For individuals
Instead of browsing profiles, the user answers questions through a text conversation with an AI chatbot and receives one specific date with a time and place once a week, shifting dating decisions from choosing profiles to simply showing up for an arranged date.
For a business
According to the source, Ditto raised 9.2 million dollars in a seed round from investors including Gradient, Peak XV and Scribble, indicating investor interest in AI products targeting Generation Z and a model based on viral marketing instead of traditional user acquisition.
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Event sources
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