Funding · Consumer Internet & Media

Rivet raises $10.5 million seed round

By Startup Enthusiast · 25 September 2026

What they do

Rivet runs a dating platform where users can act as daters or matchers, using community votes to suggest compatible pairs

The startup secured $10.5 million in seed funding from Peak XV Partners, Shine Capital and Blume Ventures to expand across the United States

The capital will fund product development, distribution and building user density, a key challenge for matchmaking networks

Rivet raised $10.5 million in a seed round to fuel its US launch.
The round was led by Peak XV Partners, Shine Capital and Blume Ventures.
The new capital supports feature building, user acquisition and growth in the US market.
The company operates from a New York‑based entity called MeantToBe Inc. with engineering teams in Delhi NCR, India.
Founders Taru Kapoor and Rajat Sahni built the platform around a social matching model.
The app lets users be daters or matchers, earning karma points that can be traded for perks.

The social matching concept aims to improve match quality by adding human judgment to algorithmic suggestions.
Building local user density is critical for matchmaking networks to provide timely introductions.
Competitors like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge rely on swipe‑based feeds, making Rivet’s community approach distinctive.

Rivet offers a free‑to‑download dating app on iOS and Android.
Users can act as daters seeking matches or as matchers who vote on potential pairs.
A Social Matching score is generated from community votes to decide introductions.
Messaged before a match can be sent via a paid karma‑point shortcut costing $9.99 per message.
Matchers earn karma currency that can be exchanged for profile boosts, cash payouts or gift cards.
The platform follows a give‑to‑get model where helping others can unlock personal recommendations.
The service is currently focused on the U.S. market with plans to grow city‑level liquidity.

Peak XV Partners (lead) — Venture capital firm investing in early‑stage tech startups
Shine Capital (lead) — Early‑stage investor focused on consumer platforms
Blume Ventures (lead) — Indian venture fund backing technology companies
Elie Seidman (participated) — Former CEO of Tinder and OkCupid, early advisor and investor