These Gen Z Founders Are Reinventing Dating Apps, Without The Swipe

Forbes Daily Briefing

Forbes

Business, Tech News, News

4.4 • 18 Ratings

🗓️ 16 July 2026

⏱️ 6 minutes

🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS

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Summary

Would you pay $15 to go on a date? It’s just the price of a cocktail, argue Stanford dropouts Celeste Amadon and Asher Allen. They started dating app company Known based on their belief that frustrated Gen Z singles, tired of endless swiping, are willing to pay up. Those signing up for Known start by talking with an AI, an onboarding experience similar to a phone call designed to encourage users to talk more naturally rather than type out answers into a form. Then the San Francisco-based startup introduces daters to one potential match at a time. If both people say yes, the app uses AI agents to book the first date for them and charges each person. Fifteen dollars might sound like a lot for a single date, but Hinge subscriptions can cost between $30 and $50 monthly and Bumble’s monthly cost can range from $40 to almost $100. Amadon and Allen believe the incentives are skewed. They think dating apps should only make money when they actually help people meet IRL. By Sofia Chierchio, Fellow Edited by Katharine Schwab, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	So what if the drink's pink?
0:01.7	And the cream's pink.
0:03.6	Chill. It's no big deal.
0:06.3	Just get the new strawberry candy plus frappe.
0:08.8	From our new Maccafe summer drinks range.
0:11.3	Now at McDonald's.
0:14.4	Available until the 7th of September.
0:16.1	Price and participation may vary.
0:17.6	Frappe is not available on delivery.
0:19.1	Subject to availability.
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0:46.7	First year, new annual boiler service contract only, ends 5th of August.
0:50.7	Today on Forbes, these Gen Z founders are reinventing dating apps without the swipe.
0:58.3	Would you pay $15 to go on a date?
1:02.0	Stanford dropouts Celeste Amandan and Asher Allen argue that it's just the price of a cocktail.
1:08.5	They started a dating app companyone, based on their belief that
1:12.0	frustrated Gen Z singles, tired of endless swiping, are willing to pay up. Those signing up for
1:19.1	None, start by talking with an AI, an onboarding experience similar to a phone call, designed to
	...

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