Israeli Entrepreneur Launches AI-Powered Dating App Tandu
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
Israeli entrepreneur Eliana Barbel has launched Tandu, a new dating app that uses an AI matchmaker to connect users, aiming to avoid the pitfalls of traditional swipe-based apps. The app learns about users through conversation and represents them to other AI matchmakers, focusing on genuine connections. Tandu is currently bootstrapped and launching its waitlist in Israel.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- New AI dating app Tandu launched by Eli the Bot founder Eliana Barbel.
- Tandu uses AI matchmakers instead of profile swiping.
- The app aims to foster genuine connections and avoid superficiality.
- Lessons learned from previous app failure inform Tandu's strategy.
- The startup is initially bootstrapped and focusing on the Israeli market.
Eliana Barbel, the entrepreneur behind the now-defunct dating app 'Eli the Bot', has launched a new dating startup called Tandu. Partnering with Asher Barak, Tandu aims to find love for users through an AI matchmaker, eliminating the need for endless profile scrolling and swiping.
Barbel explained that her previous venture, Eli the Bot, which launched in April 2022 and evolved from WhatsApp to a standalone app, closed on December 31, 2024. She attributed its closure to a limited pool of potential matches within social circles and a failure to achieve profitability before running out of raised funds. Following Eli the Bot's closure, Barbel joined Rakuten Viber, where she led the development of Viber Dating.
Tandu operates differently from existing dating apps. Instead of swiping, each user interacts with a personal AI matchmaker, similar to conversing with ChatGPT. This AI learns about the user through conversations, preferences, and dating experiences, and then represents them to matchmakers of other users. The AI can also provide feedback on user photos if requested. When the AI matchmakers identify a potential match, they propose it to their respective users. If both users are interested, the connection is then between them, with the matchmakers offering guidance on compatibility.
Barak, who previously led development teams at Meta, Amazon, and Google, joined Barbel to build Tandu, aiming to create technology that fosters genuine connections rather than superficial ones. The startup is currently bootstrapped, with plans to invest initial capital and potentially introduce paid features later, learning from the mistake of delaying monetization with Eli the Bot. Tandu is launching its waitlist today and expects thousands of users in the initial days, with tens of thousands within months. Barbel emphasized that the AI's approach is designed to be supportive and facilitate real-world interactions, not to replace them, and that the service will initially focus on the Israeli market before considering global expansion due to cultural nuances in matchmaking.
