Taru Kapoor
In short: Taru Kapoor is the founder of Rivet, a US dating app built around Social Matching, where community members vote on compatibility before daters see full profiles. She previously spent eight years scaling Tinder and OkCupid in India and other markets. Rivet raised a $10.5 million seed round and launched nationally in September 2026.
Key facts
| Role | Founder |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Rivet |
| Role | Taru Kapoor is the founder of Rivet, a dating app built on Social Matching [Dating Industry Insights, 24 September 2026] |
| Previous role | Kapoor spent eight years scaling Tinder and OkCupid across India, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Turkey [Dating Industry Insights, 24 September 2026] |
| Funding | Rivet raised a $10.5 million seed round from Peak XV Partners, Shine Capital and Blume Ventures [Dating Industry Insights, 24 September 2026] |
| Launch | Rivet launched nationally in the week of 24 September 2026, after being live in Charlotte earlier in the year [Dating Industry Insights, 24 September 2026] |
Biography
Taru Kapoor is the founder of Rivet, a dating app built around a model it calls Social Matching. Dating Industry Insights reports that she spent eight years scaling Tinder and OkCupid, with work covering India, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Turkey. Match Group credited her with building Tinder into a major brand in India. The report does not give her job titles at either company.
Rivet raised $10.5 million in seed funding from Peak XV Partners, Shine Capital and Blume Ventures. Peak XV was formerly Sequoia India. Elie Seidman, a former chief executive of Tinder and OkCupid, is an early investor and adviser.
In Social Matching, community members vote on compatibility before daters see full profiles, and users sign up as either Daters or Matchers. The app had been live in Charlotte earlier in 2026, where it reportedly attracted thousands of users, and launched nationally in the week of 24 September 2026. Rivet has also run offline dating show events where live audiences vote on chemistry.
Career
- Tinder and OkCupid (Match Group)
- Founder, Rivet
Stories about Taru Kapoor
- Rivet's $10.5M Bet: Can Kapoor's Social Matching Outrun Swipe Fatigue?
Rivet has raised $10.5 million in seed funding from Peak XV Partners, Shine Capital and Blume Ventures for its Social Matching dating app.
Questions about Taru Kapoor
Who is Taru Kapoor?
Taru Kapoor is the founder of Rivet, a US dating app built around Social Matching. She previously spent eight years scaling Tinder and OkCupid.
How much has Rivet raised?
Rivet raised $10.5 million in seed funding from Peak XV Partners, Shine Capital and Blume Ventures.
What is Social Matching?
It is Rivet's model in which community members vote on compatibility before daters see full profiles.
What is Taru Kapoor's current role?
Taru Kapoor is Founder at Rivet.