# After > Source: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/products/after | Publisher: Dating Industry Insights (High Intent Media Inc) | Last checked: 2026-10-26 **In short:** After is a female-founded dating app based in Austin, Texas, led by founder and CEO Katie Dissanayake. It asks users to give a reason before unmatching or letting a match lapse, and sends the other person a kind message. It launched in Austin in September 2024 and expanded to Texas and New York, making it a small test of anti-ghosting design. ## Key facts - Type: Dating app - Headquarters: Austin, United States - Founded: 2023 - Status: Operating. Launched in Austin in September 2024, then Texas in February 2025 and New York in April 2025. No later status confirmed. - Website: afterapp.com - Founder and CEO: Katie Dissanayake, who previously worked at the dating app Hud (2024-09-26) [source](https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/26/after-is-a-new-dating-app-that-tries-to-tackle-ghosting/) - Founded: October 2023 (2024-09-26) [source](https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/26/after-is-a-new-dating-app-that-tries-to-tackle-ghosting/) - Headquarters: Austin, Texas (2024-09-26) [source](https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/26/after-is-a-new-dating-app-that-tries-to-tackle-ghosting/) - Austin launch: Launched in Austin on 26 September 2024 (2024-09) [source](https://www.mysanantonio.com/lifestyle/article/after-dating-app-texas-19752406.php) - Texas expansion: Texas-wide launch on 12 February (2025-02) [source](https://sanantonio.culturemap.com/news/city-life/after-dating-app-texas-launch/) - New York expansion: Launched statewide in New York on 2 April 2025 with a Community Verification feature (2025-04-02) [source](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/anti-ghosting-dating-app-brings-romance-back-to-new-yorks-dating-scene-302415848.html) - Core feature: Users must give a reason before unmatching or letting a match expire; After sends the other person a kind message (2024-09-26) [source](https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/26/after-is-a-new-dating-app-that-tries-to-tackle-ghosting/) - Business model: Freemium with petals in-app currency; subscription reported at $19.99 a month at launch (2024-09-26) [source](https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/26/after-is-a-new-dating-app-that-tries-to-tackle-ghosting/) - Platforms: iOS and Android [source](https://www.afterapp.com/) - Official website: afterapp.com [source](https://www.afterapp.com/) - DII coverage: DII noted in March 2025 that After had shared no retention, engagement or match quality data (2025-03-26) [source](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/anti-ghosting-dating-app-after-launches) ## About After is a dating app from Austin, Texas, positioned as "unapologetically romantic". TechCrunch reported that it was founded in October 2023 by Katie Dissanayake, who spent a decade in the dating app industry and previously worked at Hud. Press releases and local coverage name her as founder and CEO. The app is available on iOS and Android and follows a freemium model, with an in-app currency called petals and a paid tier reported at $19.99 a month at launch. Its main feature is aimed at ghosting. Users must give a reason before unmatching, chosen from a list, and After turns it into a kind message sent to the other person. If a conversation stalls, users are nudged to reply, and the match expires if they do not. The expiring user then picks a reason before using the app again. Other features include local and visitor badges, dating guides and planned opt-in mental health check-ins. In April 2025 it added Community Verification, which lets users vouch for each other after video calls, alongside AI photo verification. After launched in Austin on 26 September 2024, reached the whole of Texas in February 2025 and launched statewide in New York on 2 April 2025. Dating Industry Insights noted in March 2025 that the company had shared no retention, engagement or match quality data. The legal entity behind the app and its funding are not stated in the sources reviewed. ## Stories about After - [After's New York Expansion: Growth Signal or Desperation Move?](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/anti-ghosting-dating-app-after-launches) (2025-03-26) - [After's Anti-Ghosting Pitch: A Solution or Just More Friction?](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/romantic-dating-app-ends-ghosting) (2024-08-06) ## Questions **What is After?** After is a dating app based in Austin, Texas, founded by Katie Dissanayake. It focuses on reducing ghosting by asking users to give a reason before unmatching. **Where is After available?** It launched in Austin in September 2024, expanded across Texas in February 2025 and launched statewide in New York on 2 April 2025. It is on iOS and Android. **How does After try to stop ghosting?** Users pick a reason when they unmatch or let a stalled match expire, and After sends the other person a kind message. Users are nudged to reply before a match expires. **Does After charge?** Basic use is free. At launch TechCrunch reported a paid tier at $19.99 a month, plus an in-app currency called petals. **Where is After based?** After is based in Austin, United States. **When was After founded?** After was founded in 2023. --- Canonical: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/products/after