Dating app Fate is expanding into in-person dating with Fate IRL, a new series of compatibility-based speed dating events that match participants before they meet. The company’s first London events on July 18 and July 21 sold out, prompting a third event on Aug. 1.
The launch builds on Fate’s swipe-free dating app by bringing its compatibility matching into live events. Rather than pairing strangers at random, Fate uses information gathered through the app to curate attendees before the event begins.
Founder Rakesh Naidu said the goal is to combine online matchmaking with the excitement of speed dating while making in-person dating more intentional.
“Traditional dating apps often keep users swiping, while traditional dating events often put singles in a room and hope chemistry happens,” Naidu said. “Fate IRL connects the two by using what we already know from the app to create better real life dating rooms.”
For an IRL dating event to work for the modern dater, Naidu believes it has to be designed with intention. Each participant has already established compatibility on the Fate app before meeting in person.
Fate Uses App Compatibility Before Live Events
Getting to know someone before a potential meet-cute may not sound like the height of spontaneous romance, but it is more realistic. This, Naidu explained, is Fate IRL’s strength.
By “dating rooms,” he means the in-person places where romance can blossom, including singles mixers, group dates, and speed dating events.
Fate joins a growing number of dating platforms experimenting with in-person experiences as companies look beyond swipe-based dating. Its approach differs from Bumble’s Plans feature, which lets users meet at a Plans event before connecting on the app. Fate instead establishes compatibility first and brings those matches together in person.
Regardless of their different approaches, both apps respond to the same trend: singles are looking for in-person experiences that feel intentional rather than random. These events aim to increase each person’s chances of making a meaningful connection while preserving the excitement of meeting face-to-face.
How Fate IRL Matches Participants
The way Fate IRL determines compatibility reminds me of how Netflix recommends movies to an individual user: It monitors user behavior and figures out where potential matches align. The more frequently users interact with Fate, the more accurate their IRL matches are.
Of course, everyone’s definition of “alignment” is different. All some of us need to be on the same page is an age-appropriate bachelor or bachelorette; others have far more requirements, from age to temperament to hobbies to life goals.
There’s nothing wrong with taking chances on an unknown group of daters. But searching for a diamond in the rough can be draining, not to mention dirty, work. You can’t deny the power of a well-matched, totally aligned, expertly organized connection.
There’s a reason many speed dating events end in dead ends instead of exciting new connections, Naidu said.
“The problem with many dating events is that they are built around filling seats, not curating compatibility,” he explained.
Curating the dating event so singles interact with people they’re compatible with makes for a more intentional, more fulfilling, and perhaps even a more successful experience.
“You can have 20 singles in a room, but if the age ranges, gender balance, intent, and values are misaligned, the experience quickly falls apart,” Naidu explained.
Fate Expands Premium Membership Through IRL Events
More than 10,000 installs later, Fate’s swipe-free, curation-first approach to modern dating is clearly resonating. So is Fate IRL. Its first events on July 18 and July 21 in London have already sold out, prompting a third event on Aug. 1.
There are only 10 men and 10 women in attendance at each event, all of whom have been matched by Fate. Premium subscribers can attend free of charge, while non-premium active users must pay to participate.
It’s unclear how much it costs to attend a Fate IRL event, but daters have shown they’re willing to pay for curated, in-person experiences. We’ve seen similar interest in Bumble’s Plans events and other live dating experiences, including IRL slideshows and Tinder’s Double Date Island.
According to Fate, additional cities are planned following the initial London launch. Whether compatibility-first events become a lasting part of the dating industry remains to be seen, but the early demand suggests singles are interested in bringing app-based matching into real-world dating experiences.
