Meeno

Meeno operates as a private relationship mentoring platform, utilizing generative AI to help users improve their social connections and address feelings of loneliness. The company was founded in 2023, originally as Amorai, by Renate Nyborg, the former CEO of Tinder. Nyborg's career, which includes leadership roles at Headspace and overseeing the App Store subscription business in Europe for Apple, reflects a long-standing focus on mobile technology and human connection, stemming from her personal experiences with cross-cultural communication.

The platform is designed to act as a "personal mentor" rather than a virtual partner or a clinical therapist, offering personalized guidance for a wide array of relationships, including friendships, family, romance, and professional connections. Initially launched as an AI chatbot to help users navigate relationship issues, Meeno has since pivoted to also include voice-based AI character interactions. This new feature aims to provide practical social skills training through simulated scenarios, such as practicing a conversation with someone new. This shift was partly influenced by the discovery that a significant portion of its user base, over 54%, is male, a demographic known to be more resistant to seeking help but who actively use digital tools like ChatGPT for relationship advice.

Meeno operates on a subscription-based business model, offering premium features for a monthly fee. The company has stated it will not sell user data or use it for advertising. To enhance its AI models beyond public LLMs, Meeno collaborates with relationship experts and clinicians to create proprietary training data. The platform also personalizes its advice by collecting initial demographic data to avoid biased conversations and learns from user interactions over time to improve its guidance. The company has secured nearly $5 million in total funding, with a significant seed round led by Sequoia Capital and including participation from Andrew Ng's AI Fund and NEA.

Keywords: relationship mentoring, generative AI, social connection, loneliness, Renate Nyborg, personal mentor, AI chatbot, voice-based AI, social skills training, subscription model, Sequoia Capital, Andrew Ng, mental wellness, communication skills, dating advice, friendship advice, family relationships, professional connections, social anxiety, emotional intelligence, AI coach