Category: All Investment Raises

Left Field Dating App Lands $200K on Shark Tank to Disrupt Endless Swiping

Posted on January 27, 2026
Let Field on Shark Tank

MSN – Left Field is an AI dating app featured on Shark Tank that aims to move away from endless swiping by focusing on real-life connections. Launched in February 2025, it had ~5K users at the time of filming and uses AI and approximate location data to suggest socially proximate matches. The founders secured $200K in funding from Kendra Scott and Alexis Ohanian in exchange for 8% equity plus advisory shares, signaling strong investor confidence despite ongoing public debate about location-based safety.

See full article at MSN

Info Edge Invests ₹10 Crore in Dating Platform Aisle Amidst Losses

Posted on January 20, 2026
Logos of Info Edge and Aisle

WHALESBOOK – Info Edge (India) has invested ₹10 crore (~$1.1M) in dating app Aisle through its subsidiary Jeevansathi Internet Services to support the dating platform’s working capital. The investment comes despite Aisle posting a net loss of ₹17.8 crore (~$2M) in FY25, even as revenue grew to ₹39.62 crore (~$4.3M).

See full article at Whalesbook

WedKnott Secures Strategic Investment to Fuel Expansion Into Dubai and London

Posted on January 8, 2026
A couple in traditional Indian attire sitting together, surrounded by flower petals falling from above, with a vibrant orange and yellow floral backdrop.

NEWS24ONLINE – WedKnott, a premium matchmaking platform for Ivy League alumni and high-achieving professionals, has secured strategic investment from blockchain entrepreneur Sir Pratik Gauri, founder of $1.5B blockchain company 5ire. The funding supports WedKnott’s international expansion into Dubai and London, targeting wealthy Indian diaspora. Founded in 2018 by Abhinav Gandhi and Misha Malik, WedKnott operates from Noida and Mumbai. It has built a network of 250K members, and offers tiered memberships with psychology-based matchmaking. 

See full article at News24online

Known Raises $9.7M to Test Voice AI Dating App Focused on Faster In-Person Dates

Posted on December 22, 2025
Logo of the company 'known' designed in a modern font against a light background.

TECH CRUNCH – Known has raised $9.7M in funding as it tests a voice AI–driven dating app designed to move users toward faster in-person dates. The San Francisco–based startup replaces traditional profiles with long, conversational voice onboarding sessions that capture nuanced preferences and improve matching. In a local beta, the company says about 80% of introductions led to real-life dates, far higher than swipe-based apps. Matches must accept introductions and agree to dates within short time windows to reduce ghosting, and the app also helps schedule dates and choose restaurants. Known is currently testing in San Francisco ahead of a broader launch.

See full article at Tech Crunch

Voicetep Secures ¥200 Million to Expand Its Voice-Only Matching App

Posted on November 28, 2025
Voicetep

THE BRIDGE – Voicetep raised ¥200M ($1.3M) to expand its voice-based dating app and communication platform. The app, launched in April 2025, matches users through voice calls first and moves to video or messaging only with mutual consent. It holds a patent for voice-only matching and includes an AI tool that analyzes conversation patterns.

See full article at The Bridge

Indian Matchmaking Startup Knot.dating Becomes Profitable in 6 Month

Posted on October 14, 2025
Logo of Knot.dating

STARTUPRO – Knot.dating says it became operationally profitable six months after launch by focusing on marriage-minded users and using AI chat to match people. The user base skews female – about 70:30 women to men – with ~60% of paying users being women. Men must earn ₹50 lakh+ and everyone is verified; each member gets a relationship manager. The company raised $3.2M.

See full article at Startupro

Amata Is a New AI Matchmaker

Posted on September 30, 2025
Amata app logo

BUSINESS INSIDER – Amata is a new dating app rolling out in New York that swaps swiping for an AI matchmaker, which proposes a date and handles the planning; DMs only open two hours before meeting. Users pay a $16 per match (with plans to raise the price), can bank the token if a date cancels, and repeat cancelers get a 7-day pause. The company raised $6M pre-seed and learns from post-date feedback to improve matching. Its founder, Ludovic Huraux, previously built Attractive World and Shapr.

See full article at Business Insider

Gigi Pivots From AI Dating App to LinkedIn Rival

Posted on September 24, 2025
Logo of Gigi

BUSINESS INSIDER – Clara Gold shut down her dating app and relaunched Gigi as an AI-powered professional network that uses calendar data to map real relationships and prompt warm introductions. An invite-only beta went live in Sep 2025 across the US and Europe, with broader expansion planned for 2026. Gigi raised $3M led by Khosla Ventures, bringing total funding to $8M, with other investors including Sequoia, OpenAI, and Monashees. The pivot reflects dating apps’ retention problem and Gold’s view that LinkedIn connections often lack real strength; Gigi targets relevance by recommending who to meet and when, in exchange for deeper data access.

See full article at Business Insider

Wable Secures $1.5M to Expand Neurodivergent Dating App to UK and US

Posted on September 9, 2025
Logo of 'Wable' on a purple background with the slogan 'For the willing and able'.

SMART COMPANY – Wable, a Melbourne-based dating and social app for neurodivergent people, has raised $1.5M to fund its expansion into the UK and US. Founded in 2024 by Holly Fowler and inspired by Love on the Spectrum star Michael Theo, the app has grown to ~11K users in Australia and New Zealand. The funding, led by Paul Sharbanee of Taurus Capital, will support team growth, marketing, and new features, following Wable’s official US and UK launch in July 2025.

See full article at Smart Company

Chapter 2 Dating Seeks £150K to Scale Niche Apps

Posted on July 4, 2025

ChapterTwo logoOPW – Chapter 2 Dating is seeking £150K in investment to scale its three niche dating platforms designed for underserved communities. Chapter 2 Dating supports widows and widowers looking for long-term relationships, WidowsFire offers a space for intimacy within the bereaved community, and SoberLove connects sober and sober-curious individuals seeking relationships outside alcohol-focused environments. Launched in 2022, the company has ~20K users across the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, and has previously raised £250K from 14 investors across three rounds. It reported a 27% increase in monthly active users last quarter and a 405% YOY growth in recurring revenue.

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