Schmooze

Schmooze is an AI-powered dating app that matches people based on their sense of humor and meme preferences rather than just photos. Founded in 2021 by Vidya Madhavan and Abhinav Anurag, the app beta-tested at Stanford before launching in India, where it quickly racked up over 1 million users in its first 10 months and hit 900 million meme swipes. The platform uses AI to curate meme selections and suggest matches based on shared humor, personality traits, and interests—basically, it’s trying to get Gen-Z singles to connect over what makes them laugh instead of just swiping on selfies. While Schmooze sits in the broader dating app ecosystem alongside other dating platforms, its focus on personality-driven matching puts it in the category of apps trying to foster more meaningful connections. The company raised $4 million in funding led by Elevation Capital (after a $3.2 million seed round) and grew to 250k+ monthly active users within eight months, with a notably balanced gender ratio. It’s available on both iOS and Android, operating out of Bengaluru, India.