Sitch❤️‍🔥

Opening Remarks

In a world where it’s easier to build a startup than ever before, I’ve been thinking about what actually separates breakout startups from the rest—and it’s not just product. It’s distribution.

Whether you’re in consumer, SaaS, B2B, or even life sciences, the founders winning today aren’t just building great products—they’re building trust, visibility, and demand before launch.

In crowded markets, distribution is a moat. You can check out my full thoughts here. Now, onto this week’s feature:

—Brett

Bulletpitch’s publication covers the hottest early-stage startup before being picked up by larger media outlets. If that’s you, apply here.

Setting the Scene

• Modern dating apps are built on misaligned incentives: they aim to keep users on-platform—monetizing attention through ads and subscriptions—while users are trying to delete the app.

• This results in:

  • Superficial engagement and low-intent interactions.

  • User fatigue and a lack of intention behind swiping.

  • Limited matchmaking quality due to poor data and one-size-fits-all algorithms

• This week’s company is redefining the dating category with an AI-driven matchmaking service where users only pay for successful, mutual matches—aligning incentives with outcomes.

In a Sentence

Sitch is an AI-powered matchmaking platform that makes high-intent introductions.

• AI-powered: You share your preferences through a detailed intake and ongoing voice or text chats with a personal AI matchmaker that learns and adapts over time.

• Matchmaking platform: A human-like chatbot facilitates warm intros and places matches into a group chat—like being set up by a mutual friend.

• High-intent introductions: Users only pay when both sides opt in, increasing the likelihood that matches lead to real dates.

The Basics

• Industry: Consumer Social, Dating

• Headquarters: NYC

• Year Founded: 2023

• Employee Count: 4

• Investors: A16Z, Jeremy Liew, and others

• Amount Raised: $2M pre-seed round, seed to be announced soon 

• Business Model: Pay per setup—users buy a pack of intros and only pay when both parties opt in

• Early Traction: $600K ARR (for April in NYC) with ~10k users in NYC, and 1000s on waitlists across the US 

Sponsored Content*

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

• Mercury believes that when banking* can do more, your business can do more.

• You can stay current with vendors with the help of bill pay that helps you prioritize AP. 

• You can watch your hard work become revenue with every invoice you create and send.

• You can unlock the ad spend you need to grow with access to credit cards designed for startups. 

• The best part is, you can do all this and more with a single product that feels extraordinary to use.

Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC.

Weekly Feature Continued

Due Diligence

WHAT WE LIKE

• Category Tailwinds: According to a 2023 study, 39% of couples now meet online—making dating apps the most common way Americans meet their partners (check out this fascinating study) despite growing user dissatisfaction.

• Business Model: Users only paying when both sides opt in, flipping the incentive model of dating apps and reinforcing intent.

• Hyper Personalized: A hyper personalized sign up form and combining AI with voice and text interactions creates a matchmaking experience that’s personal, warm, and scalable.

POTENTIAL RISKS

• Market Saturation: Even with a new model, building a dating product is notoriously hard—crowded with incumbents, noise, and users with limited trust or patience for new platforms.

• Retention Dynamics: While early traction is strong, long-term engagement and repeat behavior (after a successful match) remains unproven—there may be a reason no other model has cracked dating.

• Educational Challenge: The high-intent, pay-per-match model is compelling—but educating users and shifting expectations from swipe culture will take time.

Founder Profiles

• Nandini Mullaji: 2x consumer founder and Stanford GSB.

• Chad DePue: Previously Senior Director at Snap, CTO, Whisper and SVP Eng, Uniswa.

Comps

• Tawkify: Backed by Palapa Ventures, Sidecar Angels, StartX

• Gigi AI: Backed by Sequoia, OpenAI, Monashees

• Other Mentions: SeeMe, Amori 

Event Board

• Tech Carnival NYC: We’re throwing NYC’s biggest founder, investor event of the summer on June 3rd. Sign up for the Tech Carnival HERE.

• Founding GPs Dinner NYC: On June 5th, we’re co-hosting a curated and intimate dinner for founding GPs. Sign up HERE.

Note: Spots are limited for dinners. If you apply and aren’t approved for a dinner, we will try to get you to a future event.

Cast Your Vote

Last Week Today

• The Results Are In: Adrenaline Interactive, an ad-exchange that enables product placements directly in video games, was favored in last week’s poll.

• Subscriber Feedback: “It is so clear that the next evolution of digital ads will be run through interactive games. I’m bullish on this company since it enables that.”