Dating startup Keeper, founded in 2022, has raised $4 million in a pre-seed round led by Lightbank and Lakehouse Ventures, with participation from Goodwater Capital and Champion Hill Ventures. The company, led by CEO Jake Kozloski, is positioning itself as a next-generation matchmaking platform powered by AI, claiming it can identify your true soulmate—or tell you definitively that no one is a match. Keeper’s approach centers on a highly structured onboarding process that goes far beyond typical dating apps. Users must complete 14 steps, including providing academic test scores like SATs, career goals, salary, net worth, and even taking an external personality test. The company does not allow users to create their own profiles—instead, Keeper builds a curated profile based on the data collected. The matching process begins with non-AI algorithms that filter potential matches based on broad criteria like age range. Once a user’s top 100 matches are identified, AI models—specifically large language models (LLMs)—are deployed to make the final selection. These LLMs are trained on Keeper’s internal matchmaking insights and analyze subtle factors such as general attractiveness and specific traits like hair color or baldness. Keeper has partnered with researchers at Stanford to help refine its AI models, using anonymized user data to improve accuracy. Despite the heavy use of AI, the platform still includes human matchmakers in the process. When a match is made, Keeper facilitates initial contact via text. The company is currently limited to heterosexual couples, though Kozloski said it plans to develop algorithms for same-sex relationships in the future. He cited the need to first achieve product-market fit with its core offering, noting that heterosexual relationships focused on long-term partnership represent a larger and more immediate market. Keeper has attracted over 1.5 million sign-ups since launch, with about 300,000 creating full accounts. While exact match numbers are not disclosed, the company’s pitch deck claims that 10% of dates from its beta version led to engagements, and some resulted in marriage. The startup’s pricing model is highly distinctive—and controversial. Men are required to sign a “marriage bounty” contract, typically worth $50,000 if they get married, and pay $5,000 per date. These date fees count toward the total bounty. The company says it has already secured $14 million in commitments under this model. For women, the service is free. In a future fully automated version, Keeper projects that dates will cost $250 and the marriage bounty will drop to $5,000. The company argues that its pricing aligns incentives—earning more quickly by helping users achieve long-term goals. Keeper’s pitch deck highlights the declining marriage rate in the U.S., the growing demand for AI-driven solutions in dating, and the limitations of existing platforms. It also showcases press coverage, user growth, and its founder team. The deck emphasizes that investors see AI as a transformative force in the dating space and an opportunity to disrupt established players like Tinder and Bumble. While the company’s bold claims and pricing model have drawn attention, Keeper remains focused on refining its AI and proving its ability to deliver meaningful, lasting relationships.