Startups · Satire
Founder Who Wants to 'Solve Loneliness' Launches AI Girlfriend App, Joins Exclusive Founder Social Club
The startup, which charges $19.99 per month for a simulated romantic companion, is backed by investors who are all members of an invite-only networking group.
SAN FRANCISCO — Remitr, a startup offering AI-powered romantic companionship, launched publicly Thursday with $8 million in seed funding and a mission statement describing its goal as “solving the loneliness epidemic through technology.”
The company’s founder, 29-year-old Connor Blake, described loneliness as “one of the defining crises of our generation” at a launch event held at a private members club in SoMa, attended by 200 people who had received personal invitations.
“Connection is a human right,” said Blake, who is a member of three exclusive San Francisco social clubs. “We want everyone to experience it.”
Remitr’s app allows users to create a personalised AI companion with a custom name, personality, and appearance. The companion will engage in conversation, remember details about the user, and express simulated affection, all for $19.99 per month.
The company’s investor base includes six venture capitalists, all of whom are members of the same private WhatsApp group.
“The market is enormous,” said lead investor Rebecca Tran, who attends approximately fourteen networking events per week. “So many people are lonely.”
When asked whether an AI companion app was meaningfully addressing loneliness or substituting for genuine social connection, Blake said the question was “pretty reductive.”
At press time, Remitr had 40,000 users and Blake had been accepted to a new private members club.
