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The online dating landscape in India is divided into two camps. While traditional matchmaking sites like Shaadi.com and Bharat Matrimony solely focus on helping people find partners for marriage, online dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge are more geared towards younger singles finding companionship.

However, modern dating has become crowded and saturated.

India’s dating app usage has surged from 20 million in 2018 to 82.4 million in 2023, according to a report by Data.ai. These apps though are often plagued by a lack of vetting to prevent dating scams and can end up promoting superficiality where users may swipe through potential matches based on their appearance rather than their personality.

Enter Juleo, which aims to fill the gap between dating and matrimony apps. Founded in 2023 by Chiranjeev Ghai, ex-Zomato ML engineer, and Varun Sud, who has worked at Zomato and Google in marketing roles.

The founders invested Rs 5 lakh from personal savings to bootstrap the startup.

The Delhi-based company combines rigorous verification, AI-driven matchmaking, and real-life interactions to offer an alternative to the swiping culture.

Consent is king

Juleo vets the profiles through government ID checks and video verification through India Stack to make the dating app safe, especially for women. It conducts criminal background checks and assigns trust scores to members.

Additionally, women’s profiles are set private by default, giving them control over who views their information—a design choice driven by a YouGov and Juleo survey that found 78% of singles emphasised the need for greater privacy.

“Safety is paramount. We needed a solution that could validate user identity comprehensively,” notes Varun Sud, CEO of Juleo, adding that the system continuously improves its suggestions based on user activity and preferences.

“We prioritise authenticity, informing users of their liability for false information to foster respectful behaviour and ensure a secure platform for everyone,” he tells YourStory.

Juleo’s AI-driven Matchmaking Genie curates profiles by identifying compatibility patterns, sets up initial in-person or video meetings, and enhances user experience by segmenting profiles based on preferences. It plans to use machine learning algorithms to prevent spam and abuse.

“Nearly every dating app today harnesses AI. At Juleo, we utilise LLM prompts and ML models to segment our members, ensuring they connect exclusively with those who match their preferences,” Sud explains.

The first meeting, which can be done in person or through video call, aims to make dating more meaningful.

The app gives the option to include a chaperone, such as a friend or family member, in the first meeting for comfort and safety.

“AI enhances matchmaking by identifying patterns and optimising user experience, reducing pressure and facilitating quicker, more meaningful interactions in online dating, rather than replacing real-life interactions,” Sud asserts.

Juleo charges Club Membership Fees for premium service, starting at Rs 999 for a 30-day trial and Rs 4,500 for three months. Premium plans go up to Rs 1 lakh, offering priority matching and access to premium member-only events.

The app is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store—where it has more than 50,000 downloads. It started onboarding members in July this year.

The app currently only offers heterosexual matches, with plans to introduce LGBTQA+ matches soon.

Starting up and roadblocks

Sud first thought about the problem 15 years ago when he was looking to marry and found the existing matrimony sites less than satisfactory. “The landscape of matchmaking was stagnant, and the platforms were not evolving to meet the needs of users,” he recalls.

Fast forward to 2022, Sud observed that dissatisfaction with online dating still existed but for different reasons. He conducted extensive research and talked to younger singles and cousins, realising a growing sense of fatigue and burnout among singles overwhelmed by the plethora of options available.

“Our research showed a clear need for a platform that prioritises quality over quantity and emphasises real-life interactions,” he explains.

During the initial stages of development and launch, Juleo faced several challenges. “Hiring individuals who met our high standards was a tough task,” Sud confesses.

Another challenge was integrating with India Stack for ID verification, especially during periods of high digital infrastructure load. “Users sometimes blamed our app for issues with the underlying infrastructure. However, we remain committed to resolving these challenges and ensuring a smooth user experience,” he explains.

Juleo adheres to ISO standards along with General Data Protection Regulation and Central Consumer Protection Authority guidelines to ensure data privacy and compliance.

Going ahead

Recently, Juleo secured $2.5 million in angel funding, supported by tech entrepreneurs Ramakant Sharma, Kunal Shah, and Ruchi Deepak—founders of Livspace, CRED, and Acko, respectively.

The startup plans to raise institutional capital once it achieves product-market fit at a significant scale.

It is working on incorporating additional features and innovations, however, can’t reveal specific details. “We aim to revolutionise the online dating and matrimony experience by fostering deeper, more meaningful connections,” he signs off.