Ditto raises $9.2 million to ditch swipes and plan real college dates
For college students who spend hours swiping without ever meeting, dating has become exhausting rather than exciting. Ditto is betting that the problem is not the people, but the system itself, and investors are backing that belief in a big way.
The iMessage-based matchmaking startup announced a $9.2 million seed funding round as it looks to scale a model built around planning real dates instead of maximizing screen time. The round was led by Peak XV Partners, with participation from Gradient, Scribble Ventures, Alumni Ventures, and Llama Venture.
Ditto positions itself as a direct response to swipe fatigue across popular dating apps. On platforms optimized for engagement, users often juggle conversations for weeks without ever meeting, while many eventually abandon the process altogether.
Rather than offering endless profiles, Ditto focuses on a single outcome: getting two people to show up for a real date. The company says it plans one date at a time, removes small talk entirely, and lets users decide whether to attend once the plan is set.
“Our goal was to build something that actually helps people go on dates, not stay stuck in an app,” said co-founder and CEO Allen Wang. He added that by removing swiping and chatting, Ditto strips away much of the anxiety and toxicity associated with online dating, noting that around 20 percent of its matches have resulted in actual dates.
Built for campus life, not endless swiping
Ditto first launched at UC San Diego, where it quickly spread through student group chats and campus networks. The service has since expanded to UC Berkeley, USC, UCLA, and UC Davis, embedding itself into the daily communication habits of students by operating entirely through iMessage.
Users submit preferences that can range from playful to highly specific, along with their availability and campus location. Ditto then sends a complete date plan by text, including time, place, and details about the match, eliminating the need for coordination or prolonged messaging.
After each date, users provide feedback that is folded back into the system to refine future matches. The company says this creates a loop that feels personal and low-pressure while encouraging students to give each date a genuine chance.
The startup was founded by Berkeley undergraduates Allen Wang and Eric Liu, who noticed that even friends actively using dating apps were rarely forming meaningful relationships through them. Despite being in relationships themselves, none of those connections came from dating platforms, leading the founders to question the underlying business model.
They concluded that most dating apps monetize attention rather than successful outcomes. Ditto was built to flip that incentive, measuring success by real-world interaction instead of time spent inside an app.
Growth, funding and what comes next
Since launch, Ditto has grown to more than 42,000 users across four campuses, with over a quarter of new users arriving through referrals. Feedback has highlighted the platform’s efficiency and safety, with many students describing dates that felt more intentional and less transactional.
Some users report long, memorable first dates, while others value meeting interesting people without pressure even when romance does not follow. The company says the limited-choice format builds anticipation and reduces the tendency to judge others solely on profiles.
Ditto’s timing also aligns with broader concerns around loneliness, mental health, and digital burnout among young adults. As more people seek offline experiences rather than additional screen time, the company aims to position itself as a bridge between technology and real-world connection.
With fresh funding in place, Ditto is kicking off 2026 with a series of large-scale experiential events, including 10 yacht parties across the United States beginning in Los Angeles on Valentine’s Day. Each event will match 100 college students into blind-date pairings, creating what the company calls the largest college yacht parties to date.
The startup is co-hosting the events with student clubs and Greek life organizations in cities including Los Angeles, New York, and Boston. The concept builds on a previous San Francisco launch in late 2025 that drew strong engagement.
“Ditto is leveraging AI in a creative way to build a novel online dating experience that resembles a true matchmaking service,” said Vig Sachidananda, partner at Gradient. He pointed to early user response as a signal of the platform’s potential as it expands nationwide.
Looking ahead, Ditto plans to grow beyond college campuses and explore other forms of connection, including professional networking and group social experiences. The long-term goal is to become a modern matchmaker focused on turning intent into real-world plans, one date at a time.
