In an period the place 80% of younger singles wish to get married however solely 40% are projected to succeed, the hole between intent and end result reveals a elementary market failure in trendy matchmaking. Relationship apps generate billions in income by retaining customers single by means of subscription fashions, whereas conventional matchmakers cost tens of 1000’s upfront with mediocre success charges barely above random probability. Keeper addresses this disaster by combining complete psychometric evaluation, accumulating over 100 knowledge factors in comparison with the everyday 5 questions from relationship apps, with a enterprise mannequin the place cost solely happens when customers obtain lasting relationships. The corporate’s methodology produces a 1-in-10 success price for first dates resulting in marriage, in comparison with 1-in-10,000 on main relationship apps, whereas its proprietary AI analyzes matches throughout persona sorts, intelligence, values, and 800+ different compatibility components. With over 1.5M signups throughout beta testing, Keeper has demonstrated market demand for matchmaking that prioritizes high quality over amount, and the corporate now makes use of AI to deal with 95% of the matching course of whereas human specialists present ultimate verification.
AlleyWatch sat down with Keeper CEO and Founder Jake Kozloski to be taught extra in regards to the enterprise, its future plans, latest funding spherical, and far, rather more…
Who had been your buyers and the way a lot did you increase?
It was pre-seed. We raised $4M led by Lightbank and Lakehouse Ventures with participation from Champion Hill Ventures, Goodwater Capital, and others.
Inform us in regards to the services or products that Keeper provides.
Keeper is the AI matchmaker devoted to discovering each single individual on Earth their soulmate. We give attention to high quality over amount within the excessive with a enterprise mannequin that aligns the corporate’s incentives with consumer success – solely profiting when customers discover a profitable relationship. We go deep on psychometrics and relationship science, and our consumption course of is extra in-depth than any relationship app or matchmaker in historical past. We are able to match on any desire you’ve, and 1-in-10 Keeper first dates result in marriage. This success price is orders of magnitude larger than what anybody else has ever achieved.
What impressed the beginning of Keeper?
Loneliness is an epidemic. The overwhelming majority of younger singles wish to get married and begin households, but when present tendencies proceed lower than half will obtain that purpose. We’ve seen our buddies and family members battle with this our whole grownup lives. Society has turn out to be extra atomized, relationship apps fail to introduce you to people who find themselves truly suitable, and peoples’ requirements are larger than ever. The market is failing to clear and individuals are giving up. Measuring compatibility isn’t rocket science. When two folks on a really deep degree, it’s not that troublesome to foretell which pairings will fortunately marry and cool down.
How is Keeper completely different?
A relationship app may ask you 5 questions to grasp who you might be. A matchmaker may ask 20 questions. Keeper asks over 100 questions – as a result of individuals are advanced and multi-faceted. Our enterprise mannequin is incentive-aligned so we by no means revenue from retaining folks single, like relationship apps with their subscription-based fashions. We ask questions in open-ended format so you’ll be able to inform us something that issues to you, whether or not it’s a romantic desire, your ideas on abortion, or what you love to do on a Friday evening. Then we use AI to check your solutions to hundreds of thousands of different folks, so we will discover your single greatest match. Our consumer expertise is gender-differentiated, as a result of ladies and men care about various things in numerous proportions relating to relationship. We solely let you’ve one elite match at a time, and that match is somebody who may very probably be your soulmate.
What market does Keeper goal and the way large is it?
Single folks searching for a severe long-term relationship. There are 40 million of them within the US alone, and over 2 billion on Earth. Matchmaking is a $1.5B market globally, with the chance to 10x with higher expertise and economies of scale.
What’s what you are promoting mannequin?
Proper now, we nonetheless have people within the loop as a ultimate filter earlier than matches get supply, with the AI dealing with 95% of the sorting and filtering. The human is probably the most vital bottleneck when it comes to price and time.
Customers can be part of totally free to be matched with paying members – and for those who’re within the pool as a free consumer it’s utterly free. Paying members are prioritized and may match with anybody within the pool. Paying members pay a median of $50,000, which they signal a contract for. That cash is realized by the corporate once they discover a relationship by means of Keeper that leads to any of the next situations being met:
- A dedicated relationship of 18 months
- 12 months cohabitation
- Marriage
- Having a baby collectively
As soon as the primary a kind of issues occurs, that’s when the paying member pays.
We undertaking that in Q3 of 2026, the AI will likely be ok to the place the human matchmaker could be faraway from the method fully. At this level, we will lower costs considerably and transfer downmarket to a worth level that’s serviceable to only about anyone.
The place’s the very best first date spot in New York?
Wherever with good drinks, dim lighting, and never too loud to carry a dialog however not too quiet to make it really feel like you’ll be able to’t converse privately.
What was the funding course of like?
No remark 🙂
What are the most important challenges that you just confronted whereas elevating capital?
Relationship apps are historically seen as a foul funding by VCs.
What components about what you are promoting led your buyers to write down the verify?
Perception that the market is far bigger than present incumbents have been in a position to seize as a result of all of them fail to reliably make high quality matches.
What are the milestones you propose to realize within the subsequent six months?
Scaling up our handbook matchmaking a $2M run price.
What recommendation are you able to supply firms in New York that do not need a recent injection of capital within the financial institution?
So long as you consider within the enterprise, simply preserve going. There may be nearly all the time one other transfer left to make.
The place do you see the corporate going now over the close to time period?
Changing into the one place on earth everybody goes when they’re able to get married.
What’s your favourite winter vacation spot in and across the metropolis?
Strolling by means of the brownstones on a snowy day.
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