Justin McLeod, the founder of Hinge, announced an $18 million fundraise for his new company, Overtone, backed by Hinge owner Match Group along with FirstMark Capital and Pace Capital. McLeod stepped down from his Hinge CEO role last year to launch the venture.
Overtone describes itself as a voice- and audio-forward service powered by AI that offers highly curated introductions rather than a traditional swiping platform. McLeod said the app deliberately avoids algorithmic feeds, profile-based stats, and juggling multiple matches at once, positioning it as a departure from the dating-app model he helped popularize.
McLeod said the company aims to understand each user deeply through their own voice and story, using AI to identify meaningful matches grounded in relationship science rather than outsourcing conversations or connection-building to technology. He said Overtone will only make introductions it considers genuinely worthwhile and will explain its reasoning behind each match.
The approach mirrors a broader shift among newer dating startups, including Ditto and Date Drop, which similarly use AI to curate pairings instead of relying on open-ended swiping.
Overtone plans to launch later this year in select locations. Relationship expert Esther Perel has joined its board, alongside Match CEO Spencer Rascoff and advisor Diana Chapman.
