Rivet, a community-driven courting community constructed round human-powered “social matching”, has raised $10.5 million, about Rs 100.6 crore, in seed funding from Peak XV Companions, Shine Capital and Blume Ventures because it expands throughout the US.

The startup introduced the funding alongside its nationwide US launch on 24 September.

Rivet mentioned the investment will probably be used for product growth, distribution and growth throughout the US. The startup has an workplace in Delhi NCR, with a lot of its engineering and machine studying workforce based mostly in India, in accordance with media studies.

How Rivet works

Based in 2025 by former Tinder and Match Group govt Taru Kapoor and Rajat Sahni, who beforehand led CarDekho’s used-car enterprise, Rivet has constructed its courting platform round suggestions from different individuals.

It calls the strategy “social matching”.

Customers can be a part of the platform as “matchers”, who assess potential pairs and suggest introductions they consider might work.

These suggestions contribute to what Rivet calls a Social Matching rating. Pairs that obtain excessive scores are launched, after which every individual independently decides whether or not they wish to join and begin a dialog.

People who find themselves not on the lookout for a relationship themselves may use Rivet solely as matchers, serving to suggest potential connections for different customers.

The startup describes this as a “give-to-get” strategy, the place members will help others discover potential matches whereas additionally benefiting from suggestions made by the broader group.

Rivet is free to obtain on iOS and Android. The platform is a product of New York-based MeantToBe Inc.

Bringing individuals again into on-line courting

Rivet’s mannequin is predicated on the concept that human suggestions can establish potential connections that folks would possibly overlook on typical courting apps.

“Relationship has at all times been social,” Kapoor mentioned within the firm’s launch announcement, including that whereas courting apps had considerably widened the pool of individuals customers might meet, the method had additionally grow to be “transactional and isolating”.

Rivet is trying to handle that by involving different individuals within the course of fairly than relying solely on people looking and evaluating profiles themselves.

Its strategy is designed to mix expertise with human judgement, with matchers assessing whether or not two individuals could also be appropriate earlier than an introduction is made. The people concerned nonetheless make the ultimate determination on whether or not to attach.

Backed by former Tinder chief

Rivet additionally counts Elie Seidman, the previous CEO of Tinder and OkCupid, amongst its early buyers. Seidman suggested and mentored Kapoor throughout Rivet’s growth, in accordance with the startup.

Kapoor spent almost a decade engaged on Tinder and different Match Group manufacturers throughout the US, Europe and Asia earlier than founding Rivet.

Sahni, in the meantime, beforehand held senior roles at CarDekho, together with main its used-car enterprise.

It’s coming into a longtime on-line courting market that features platforms comparable to Tinder, Hinge and Bumble, whereas different companies have additionally experimented with involving mates or communities in matchmaking.

Rivet is taking a unique strategy by making group participation central to the product. Customers can participate even when they don’t seem to be on the lookout for a date themselves, whereas potential matches are launched solely after receiving help from matchers and are free to determine independently whether or not to attach.

With the $10.5 million seed spherical, Rivet is now trying to develop its product, broaden distribution and scale its platform following its nationwide US launch.