Students in the US Create Algorithm to Help Their Friends Find Love

United States (ANTARA) — In the spirit of Valentine’s Day celebrations at Stanford in the United States, some students are preparing for their first dates—not through Tinder or Hinge, but through a service called Date Drop, created by Stanford graduate student Henry Weng. Date Drop pairs students with one potential match each week based on their responses to a questionnaire.

TechCrunch reported on Friday (February 13) that since its launch in the fall, more than 5,000 Stanford students have tried Date Drop. The service has also expanded to 10 other campuses, including MIT, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania. Weng said he plans to expand Date Drop to several cities this summer.

According to Weng, the match rate that leads to actual dates is approximately 10 times higher than Tinder. Instead of swiping, users get to know each other more deeply and receive only one compatible match per week.

Initially, Weng did not intend for Date Drop to become the foundation of a startup. But after a close friend met their partner through Date Drop, he realized the project was more than just an experiment. Date Drop has now become the first service from his startup, The Relationship Company, a public benefit corporation that is legally required to consider social impact alongside profits.

Weng has raised “several million dollars” in funding from investors, including Zynga founder and early Facebook investor Mark Pincus, as well as Andy Chen and Elad Gil.

The company’s long-term vision is to facilitate various meaningful relationships, from friendships and professional connections to communities and events. Weng explained that there are two key elements in his system: an in-depth questionnaire—including open-ended responses and voice conversations—and a compatibility prediction model trained on data from actual dates.

Currently pursuing a master’s degree in computer science at Stanford, Weng has focused his studies on economic and mathematical concepts of “matching.” Additionally, an unexpected class called “Intro to Clown” helped him understand the importance of embracing failure in building products.

Currently, his company has two full-time employees and 12 campus ambassadors. For Weng, relationships are the most important factor in a person’s life—and Date Drop has made him increasingly open to new people outside his daily routine.