Matchmaking itself is far from new. For generations, families and communities have relied on people who know them well to make introductions based on more than appearances. Auntee combines this culturally familiar concept with artificial intelligence to create a modern matchmaking experience designed around compatibility. Instead of presenting users with a “deck of strangers” to browse, Auntee acts as an AI matchmaker that gets to know the individual first, then makes a smaller number of curated introductions using 14 behavioural dimensions that fit within Vision & Money, Lifestyle & Rhythm, Foundations, and Spark & Dynamics.

The app’s name is no accident, as users start their journey by speaking to “Auntee”. Upon signing up, users have a 15-minute voice conversation with Auntee, the AI persona who, unlike most real cases of matchmaking, gets personal with its candidate and assesses their true values and intentions behind using Auntee’s services. Gone are the days of struggling to write a catchy bio. Auntee evaluates each candidate’s lifestyle, ambitions, communication style, vision for their future, among other elements, and creates their profile to reflect the truth rather than focusing on the photo-first experience of conventional dating platforms. "It felt like she really knew me. In a good way. I felt heard for the first time in dating.” said 31-year-old user Priya. 

The founder, Zain Shaikh, didn’t set out to build a matchmaking app. The idea for Auntee came from an earlier project, “Seat At The Table”, an AI that interviewed job candidates and employers by voice, then matched them with a compatibility score. However, at every trade show, he heard the same reaction: "This is great… but could you do this for dating?" This inspired Auntee, which was built on the same technology, inspired by the aunties who had matched in his community for generations.

"It's not uncommon to hear UAE residents complaining about loneliness and the struggle to make meaningful connections. With that in mind, we decided to launch Auntee for those who do not want to waste their time on apps that will often only result in small talk with the wrong people. Through our voice-first profile building, you'll tell Auntee more in fifteen minutes than a bio says in a lifetime, making sure Auntee knows everything she needs to know before sharing candidates with real potential and aligned values," says Zain Shaikh, Founder of Auntee.

Auntee is free to download, and the 15-minute conversation with her - and the profile she writes from it - costs nothing. When users want Auntee to start searching and making introductions, they begin a 90-day season. A season is AED 699, available for a limited time at a launch price of AED 245. Auntee is currently available in the UAE.