Looking for a summer love? This app might help you make the right call.

Kiana (Kiki) Mincey had tried all the mainstream dating apps when she realized the harsh reality that comes from endless scrolling and small talk conversations that are so often felt by singles trying to date online.

“[This] was not dating,” she told Hypepotamus. “I was pretty much on social media at that point just 'liking' people.”

A Georgia native and Kennesaw State University graduate, Mincey had moved up to Bristol, Connecticut to join ESPN as a production assistant. And like many 20-somethings right out of college, Mincey turned to dating apps to try to meet new people. She tried the “classic” dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge only to find herself running into the same lack of conversation issue coming up on each platform.

“It was just very hard to get that first phone conversation,” she added. And very few back-and-forth conversations on the apps ever ended up on an in-person date.

Now, Mincey was also starting her career and trying to go on more dates in 2020 and 2021, while the pandemic shut down the world and put just about everything into flux. But it was after joining Clubhouse, the once-popular app for audio-only virtual rooms, that she realized the power in starting an “instant conversation” with someone new. She thought there had to be a way to put audio front and center in the dating app world. So alongside her co-founder Corey Staples, she started building what she thought could be a better dating experience with SWITCH App.

Inside The SWITCH App

Once a user sets up their profile on SWITCH, they are able to scroll through and see a limited version of other user profiles. That limited look includes two photos and an audio note, called a Switch Note, where users can get creative about what they record.

Mincey said it is a “more engaging” way to get to know someone’s personality. If two users mutually accept requests, then they can instantly hop on and have an audio-only speed date (or schedule out a time to chat later). Users have the option to choose conversation drivers, that includes different categories and topics, to spark even more engaging conversations.

Each speed date lasts just three minutes. At the end, each user is privately asked if they would like to extend the date. If both agree, the call continues.Only after the audio speed date ends do people get access to their date’s full profile, which includes more photos and fun facts. Users get the option to decide if they would like to match or not only after having a real time conversation. Talk first, Match Later, added Mincey.

The startup recently released its Blind Dating Feature, giving users their own 'love is blind' experience.

Lessons Learned While Building Consumer Tech

SWITCH, a graduate of the Techstars Atlanta’s 2024 cohort, officially launched on Valentine’s Day. But the road to that launch included several important pivots and changes.

As non-technical founders, Mincey said the SWITCH team found a lot of value in going through the Techstars program. At the start of the program, Switch had released its beta version with a few hundred users. Techstars served as a “factor reset” moment for the startup, as Mincey and Staples focused on relaunching and building community, and resetting the conversation around why audio-first dating was so important. They also focused on building a strong social media presence in order to engage with their users.

Now, the team is harnessing the power of in-person events as a way to grow its Atlanta-based audience.

For the last two years, SWITCH has hosted an event around Atlanta Tech Week in June as a way to connect with users and potential new users. During Atlanta Tech Week in June, SWITCH hosted an event with over 130 attendees at Rock Steady ATL.

“Events like these consistently boost our app downloads, reinforcing how meaningful real-life interactions translate directly to our platform,” Mincey added.

A Look Ahead

SWITCH saw over 1,100 downloads in its first month and currently has over 2,000 users on its app...all with no spend, Mincey said.

"We’re launching in dating because the market is broken: 79% of Gen Z and Millennials report app fatigue. Today’s apps feel disconnected and outdated—SWITCH brings back the realness of conversation and chemistry but into the digital world seamlessly," she added.

User growth is top of mind for the SWITCH team as they look to gain a stronger foothold in the dating app scene.

“Our primary focus is hitting 10,000 users in Atlanta and successfully closing our funding round. This funding will help us scale strategically and invest heavily in marketing and user experience improvements,” she added. “SWITCH is about creating intentional connections through real-time conversations first, shifting away from superficial swiping. We're continually learning from user behaviors and feedback, which directly influences the features and enhancements we roll out. Our aim is to ensure SWITCH is accessible, enjoyable, and genuinely meaningful for everyone.”

Singles can download the app now for iOS and Android devices. And Mincey said to be on the lookout for more “mixer-style experiences, strategic partnerships with popular social platforms, and — of course—speed-dating events” that are on the horizon for the rest of 2025.

But dating is just the starting point for SWITCH, with Mincey saying that she sees the app eventually growing into a "connection/relationship marketplace."

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Featured image of Mincey and Staples

Photo credit: EyeShotThisMedia