Dandy

Dandy is a consumer technology company that developed a live, virtual speed dating platform. The company was founded in 2018 by Daniel Newman and Leor Massachi while they were business students at the University of Southern California. Observing the impending shifts in social interaction at the beginning of the pandemic in February 2020, they created a dating app designed to mimic real-life connections by having users log on only during scheduled live sessions. The core of their product was to foster meaningful connections that could transition to real life quickly.

The platform operated as an invite-only, live speed dating app, initially exclusive to Los Angeles. Every evening at 8 pm, users could join a live mixer event. The experience involved both parties viewing each other's profiles simultaneously, and upon a mutual 'like', they would enter a three-minute live video chat. This model was designed to combat the endless messaging and lack of authenticity common on other dating apps by creating a sense of urgency and direct interaction. To expand its user base, the company collaborated with hundreds of TikTok creators to generate authentic content showcasing the app's features.

Dandy secured $3.35 million in funding through two seed rounds, one for $850K in August 2018 and another for $2.5M in January 2019, with First Round Capital as a lead investor. In March 2022, Dandy and its founders were acqui-hired by Alfred, a residential management platform, to apply their expertise in building consumer experiences and activating communities to the proptech industry. Before the acquisition, Newman and Massachi also developed another app called The Zoom University, a two-on-two video chat platform described as a "live virtual party that hosts you and a friend."

Keywords: live speed dating, virtual dating, mobile dating app, video chat dating, online dating platform, social connection app, Daniel Newman, Leor Massachi, First Round Capital, Alfred acquisition, consumer technology, Los Angeles dating, invite-only app, real-time connection, virtual events, community building, social networking, The Zoom University, proptech talent