Monica Selby
I know what you’re thinking. “Another dating startup? Why?!”
The guys at Set Me Up already know how you feel. Cofounder Abhishek Jain told me there are already 1300-1500 dating apps or websites out there. You can find dating apps that help you hook up, arrange a marriage, or even meet people who love horses as much as you do. So, why do we need another one?
“We’re different!” Abhishek told me. Of course.
But, as I learned more about Set Me Up, I have to admit I was pretty intrigued. Jain and his cofounder Jay Wadhwani see a fundamental flaw in online dating as it currently is. Most sites look to match complete strangers around common interests, regions, or demographics. That method completely ignores the traditional way of meeting someone–through friends and family.
“Online dating today stands sharply in contrast to the fundamental values people believe in as they’re building relationships. People don’t fall in love with online dating profiles or ‘resumes,’ Jain told me. “What’s important is the experiences you share with your partner. Our goal is to kickstart those experiences in the most basic way possible–an introduction through a friend.”
How does it work?
As a user of Set Me Up, you can click on a friend’s Facebook profile and search through their connections. If someone catches your eye, one click will send a message to your friend asking to be introduced.
Besides utilizing social media to make connections, Set Me Up is proud of their privacy screens. Even though the app uses Facebook, the company promises to never post on your wall or otherwise use your profile to market the company. They are also committed to never sharing who is on the app. Despite the ubiquity of dating apps, there can often be a stigma around them, and Set Me Up wants to make the process as seamless as possible.
I wondered if the app was more of a hookup app a la Tinder or if marriage was the ultimate goal of most users.
“In the middle,” Jain said. It’s mostly a dating app, which in theory falls somewhere between hooking up and getting hitched.
So, how’s Set Me Up doing in a world full of dating apps? The company launched out of private beta on November 1 and claim to already have 3 million profiles signed up. Jain credits their integration with Facebook for the fast ramp up. The connection to social media speeds up the process of signing up, which makes it easier for people to try out.
The company also plans to launch a mobile app in January, and with more people using mobile for more things, they expect to see Set Me Up grow even more.
Set Me Up will be a presenting startup at this year’s Angel Capital Expo, put on by the Keiretsu Forum.
You can connect with the Set Me Up app over at their website and watch for a mobile app in 2014.
