The founders of Sonder were tired of coming across yet another dating app profile in which someone confidently stated that their most contentious opinion is their appreciation for pineapple on pizza. 

“We didn’t find out that people were frustrated through user interviews or calls or any such methods,” co-founder Mehedi Hassan mentioned to TechCrunch. “It was our own experiences that taught us — we just thought, this can’t be the end.” 

This realization — that dating apps feel like unending misery — is as unremarkable as flaunting on Hinge that you were Time Magazine’s Person of the Year back in 2006 (which we all were!). Consequently, Hassan and three friends, all in their mid-twenties, embarked on creating an app that would bring something better.

Through Sonder, the quartet of founders based in London — Mehedi Hassan, Helen Sun, Lenard Pratt, and Hannah Kin — aimed to fashion an app that resembled Pinterest or MySpace more than a standard job application. (They cite MySpace as a source of inspiration, even though they were too young to have experienced it during its heyday.)

“In the setup of current dating apps, the goal is to simplify entry and enhance access, making it easier for introverts to connect with numerous individuals,” co-founder Helen Sun stated to TechCrunch. “Those initial intentions were commendable, but as those apps have evolved, I think it has turned into a pretty tedious experience, leading to people feeling drained due to a drop in authenticity.” 

Sonder profiles are entirely flexible, motivating users to create something that resembles a mood board or a digital collage. Individuals can connect via the app, but they also have the opportunity to participate in quirky in-person events organized by Sonder, such as a “Speed Drawing” night, “Presentation Evening,” or a “Performative Male Contest” (it’s genuinely a thing, I assure you).  

Sonder can facilitate both platonic and romantic relationships, making its in-person gatherings feel less daunting — you’re not entering a room where everyone is seeking a partner.

“We host recurring events, as it’s pleasant when regular participants return,” Sun remarked. “It’s akin to running clubs in a sense, where there’s this consistent chance to meet people, but there’s no pressure to make it work on the first encounter.”

Running clubs have emerged as a popular means for people to meet face-to-face — the allure for “productivity-maximizers” is that even if you don’t forge a new connection, you at least achieve a workout. However, not everyone enjoys running, nor does everyone feel their most charming when they have visible perspiration.

“I despise running,” Hassan adds. “Not everyone’s going to be interested in running clubs… Helen enjoys book clubs, but you couldn’t pay me to attend one.”

Sonder is not the first startup to realize that individuals might want to meet in real life. Even Tinder, the epitome of dating apps, is introducing in-person activities. However, users are keen to venture into something fresh. For dating applications, early-stage startups often can gain from their lack of brand recognition — attending an IRL Tinder event seems as appealing as visiting the DMV, whereas trying out something novel feels more welcoming.

“I think our goal is to reintroduce that magic of bringing individuals together and meeting someone for the first time,” Sun explained. “It should feel special, not like swiping through job applications on LinkedIn.”

Established dating platforms are also rolling out flashy new features, such as Bumble’s AI-powered dating assistant and a tool Tinder is piloting that analyzes photos from users’ camera rolls to better understand them.

Sonder does not shy away from AI. Hassan works in product engineering at Granola, an AI note-taking app based in London that recently garnered $125 million at a valuation of $1.5 billion. However, he recognizes that Sonder’s users — around 6,500 in London, all acquired without paid advertising — generally express less enthusiasm for intrusive AI uses in their dating experiences.

Sonder does utilize AI, nonetheless. It’s just more understated about it compared to mainstream applications. The app recommends matches by using an LLM to assess screenshots of user profiles, identifying who the user may be interested in meeting. However, Hassan emphasizes that he refuses to implement any AI-based profile-creation tools.

“At that stage, it loses the human element,” he stated. “So even if we might be missing out on hundreds of users, and the process of setting up the profile is more cumbersome, we want to ensure it’s a real person putting in their own effort to create that profile, as that serves as an indicator of how invested they actually are in their connections.”

Sonder has not yet secured funding, and its founders are working on the app part-time, alongside their regular jobs. Nevertheless, Hassan aspires for Sonder to obtain funding and evolve into a full-time initiative while remaining based in London.

“Our lives are quite exhausting for us, to be fair. We work nine to five, and then we host events at the end of the day,” he mentioned. “But the following day, when I review the videos, it’s genuinely uplifting to see people smiling and engaging in meaningful conversations.”