--- title: "CERCA — Dating Platform | DII | Dating Industry Insights" description: "Trust-based dating connecting friends through networks. Founded by Georgetown students. Genuine connections focus." lang: en-GB json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "name": "CERCA", "url": "https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/companies/cerca", "description": "CERCA is an emergent trust-based dating platform launched in 2025 by Georgetown University students Myles Slayton, William Conzelman, and Carter Munk that fundamentally reimagines dating safety by restricting matches exclusively to friends-of-friends and direct mutual connections within users' verified social networks. The platform's core innovation involves displaying mutual friends in common on every profile, enabling prospective daters to conduct peer-to-peer vetting through existing social connections rather than relying solely on platform algorithms, substantially increasing perceived legitimacy and reducing catfishing incidents.\n\nCERCA enforces limited daily swiping with only four matches per day to combat endless scrolling fatigue while implementing anonymous matching functionality where users can express interest without notification until mutual matching occurs, reducing rejection-based anxiety common on competitor platforms. The startup has achieved remarkable early traction with approximately 60,000 users within three months of launch, including nearly one-third of Georgetown University's undergraduate population, demonstrating strong product-market fit within campus dating demographics.\n\nDaily match reveals occur at 8 PM EST, creating anticipated discovery moments while the app's architecture emphasizes intentionality over quantity-based matching paradigms prevalent in mainstream dating applications. Former executives from Tinder, Match Group, OkCupid, and Grindr have backed CERCA's Series A funding, signaling experienced industry recognition of its potential to capture Gen Z dating preferences emphasizing safety, authenticity, and network-based trust mechanisms.", "foundingDate": "2023", "logo": "https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/favicon.png", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressCountry": "USA" }, "sameAs": [] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Companies", "item": "https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/companies" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "CERCA" } ] } ] --- [![Dating Industry Insights](/assets/dii-logo-footer-B-hNTbau.webp)](/)[A High Intent Media Brand](https://www.highintentmediagroup.com) [About](/about) [Companies](/companies "Dating App Companies") [Products](/directory "Dating Products & Features") [People](/people "Industry People & Executives") [News](/news "Dating Industry News") [Reports](/reports "Market Reports & Data") [Resources](/resources "Industry Resources") Log InRegister Free Trending [Courtland Brooks Buys GDI: Editorial Independence or Influence Play?](/news/global-dating-insights-acquisition-courtland-brooks) | [Free Dates Divide: Inflation's Unseen Impact on Dating Dynamics](/news/younger-daters-choose-free-dates) | [Tinder's Algorithm Shift: A Genuine Pivot or Just a Swipe Rebrand?](/news/tinder-reports-rise-sustained-conversations-algorithm) | [Matrimony.com's Organic Traffic Boast: A Blueprint or an Anomaly?](/news/matrimony-ceo-trust-brand-building) | [Grindr's $3M Revenue Per Employee: Efficiency or Risk?](/news/grindr-reports-higher-revenue-per-employee) | [Courtland Brooks Buys GDI: Editorial Independence or Influence Play?](/news/global-dating-insights-acquisition-courtland-brooks) | [Free Dates Divide: Inflation's Unseen Impact on Dating Dynamics](/news/younger-daters-choose-free-dates) | [Tinder's Algorithm Shift: A Genuine Pivot or Just a Swipe Rebrand?](/news/tinder-reports-rise-sustained-conversations-algorithm) | [Matrimony.com's Organic Traffic Boast: A Blueprint or an Anomaly?](/news/matrimony-ceo-trust-brand-building) | [Grindr's $3M Revenue Per Employee: Efficiency or Risk?](/news/grindr-reports-higher-revenue-per-employee) [Home](/)[Companies](/companies)CERCA ![CERCA logo](https://img.logo.dev/name/CERCA?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=128&format=png&fallback=monogram) # CERCA dating-platform CERCA is an emergent trust-based dating platform launched in 2025 by Georgetown University students Myles Slayton, William Conzelman, and Carter Munk that fundamentally reimagines dating safety by restricting matches exclusively to friends-of-friends and direct mutual connections within users' verified social networks. The platform's core innovation involves displaying mutual friends in common on every profile, enabling prospective daters to conduct peer-to-peer vetting through existing social connections rather than relying solely on platform algorithms, substantially increasing perceived legitimacy and reducing catfishing incidents. CERCA enforces limited daily swiping with only four matches per day to combat endless scrolling fatigue while implementing anonymous matching functionality where users can express interest without notification until mutual matching occurs, reducing rejection-based anxiety common on competitor platforms. The startup has achieved remarkable early traction with approximately 60,000 users within three months of launch, including nearly one-third of Georgetown University's undergraduate population, demonstrating strong product-market fit within campus dating demographics. Daily match reveals occur at 8 PM EST, creating anticipated discovery moments while the app's architecture emphasizes intentionality over quantity-based matching paradigms prevalent in mainstream dating applications. Former executives from Tinder, Match Group, OkCupid, and Grindr have backed CERCA's Series A funding, signaling experienced industry recognition of its potential to capture Gen Z dating preferences emphasizing safety, authenticity, and network-based trust mechanisms. USA Founded 2023 [![KJ Dhaliwal headshot](https://wljexrfnabxcmtcyztnv.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/profile-images/eb0e24f0-012b-4a32-9d50-12946773319f.jpg) KJ Dhaliwal Founder & CEO ](/people/kj-dhaliwal) [Products](#products)[News Coverage](#coverage) ## CERCA Products [ ![CERCA logo](https://img.logo.dev/name/CERCA?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=96&format=png&fallback=monogram) ### CERCA Dating App Dating app connecting users through mutual friends with trust-based matching. USA Est. 2023 ](/products/cerca) ## CERCA Key People [![KJ Dhaliwal headshot](https://wljexrfnabxcmtcyztnv.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/profile-images/eb0e24f0-012b-4a32-9d50-12946773319f.jpg) KJ Dhaliwal Founder & CEO ](/people/kj-dhaliwal) ## Latest CERCA News [View all coverage →](/news?company=cerca) [ ### Match and Bumble's 'Intentional Dating' Pivot: Crisis Management or Innovation? Tinder revenue fell 5% year-on-year in Q4 2024, whilst Bumble's paying users dropped 5% quarter-on-quarter Cerca, a dating app offering just four matches daily, has attracted 85,000 downloads in six m… Financial & Investor 17 Oct 2025 ](/news/cerca-success-anti-swipe-quality)[ ### Cerca's Campus Play: Exclusivity Marketing Masquerading as Safety Cerca requires school email verification and a minimum 40-user threshold before activating Student Mode at any campus The company is launching a branded physical tour of US universities with in-person… Technology & AI Lab 26 Aug 2025 ](/news/cerca-new-student-mode-college-tour)[ ### Cerca's 'Small World' Bet: A Direct Challenge to Tinder's Scale Cerca has attracted between 10,000 and 12,000 users across multiple US campuses and generates hundreds of matches daily Match Group's paying user count declined 6% year-over-year in Q3 2024 Bumble's s… Daily News Wire 7 Apr 2025 ](/news/georgetown-students-launch-safety-dating-app) ## Companies Similar to CERCA [![222 logo](https://img.logo.dev/222.place?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=80&format=png&fallback=monogram)222 Dating Platform ](/companies/222)[![9count logo](https://img.logo.dev/name/9count?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=80&format=png&fallback=monogram)9count Dating Platform ](/companies/9count)[![Ailo logo](https://img.logo.dev/ailoapp.com?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=80&format=png&fallback=monogram)Ailo Dating Platform ](/companies/ailo)[![Aisle logo](https://img.logo.dev/aisle.co?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=80&format=png&fallback=monogram)Aisle Dating Platform ](/companies/aisle)[![BeeDee logo](https://img.logo.dev/beedee.com?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=80&format=png&fallback=monogram)BeeDee Dating Platform ](/companies/beedee)[![Betterhalf.ai logo](https://img.logo.dev/betterhalf.ai?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=80&format=png&fallback=monogram)Betterhalf.ai Dating Platform ](/companies/betterhalfai) ![Dating Industry Insights](/assets/dii-logo-footer-B-hNTbau.webp) B2B intelligence for the online dating industry. 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