Anchor
In short: Anchor is a swipe-free dating app created by students at the University of North Carolina, co-founded by Antony Tran and Kyle Zhang. It is designed to turn online matches into in-person dates at venues such as cafes and museums. It matters to the dating industry as an example of a student-built app aimed at Gen Z.
Key facts
| Type | Dating app |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Chapel Hill, United States |
| Founded | 2025 |
| Founder | Co-founded by Antony Tran and Kyle Zhang, with a group of University of North Carolina students [Global Dating Insights, 1 April 2026] |
| Launch | Development began in November 2025; the app was reported as launched on 1 April 2026 [Global Dating Insights, 1 April 2026] |
| Fact | Built to turn digital matches into in-person dates rather than endless swiping; users pick date types such as cafe meetups, brunch or museum visits [Global Dating Insights, 1 April 2026] |
| Fact | Swipe-free dating app by two UNC students that books dates at venues [Dating Industry Insights, 1 April 2026] |
About Anchor
Anchor is a dating app built by a group of students at the University of North Carolina (UNC). Its co-founders are Antony Tran and Kyle Zhang. Development began in November 2025 and the app was reported as launched in late March 2026.
The app is built to turn digital matches into in-person dates rather than endless swiping. Users enter basic details such as age, interests, race and sex, and say what kinds of dates they want, for example cafe meetups, brunch or museum visits. Personality prompts include questions such as what the user does on a Sunday morning and which song they sing at karaoke.
Kyle Zhang has said his inspiration was the group dinner events he attended in China. Dating Industry Insights reported that Anchor books dates at venues. The sources reviewed give no pricing, platform availability, user numbers or funding, and the app's official website and store listings were not verified.
Stories about Anchor
- UNC's Anchor App Bets on Real Dates Over Swipes. Will Gen Z Bite?
Two UNC students launched Anchor, a swipe-free dating app that arranges dates at specific venues and runs group dinners, but it has no public user figures.
Questions about Anchor
Who founded Anchor?
Anchor was co-founded by Antony Tran and Kyle Zhang, who built it with a group of University of North Carolina students.
How does Anchor work?
It is designed to turn online matches into in-person dates instead of swiping, and asks users what kinds of dates they want, such as cafe meetups, brunch or museum visits.
What is Anchor?
Anchor is a swipe-free dating app created by students at the University of North Carolina, co-founded by Antony Tran and Kyle Zhang. It is designed to turn online matches into in-person dates at venues such as cafes and museums. It matters to the dating industry as an example of a student-built app aimed at Gen Z.
Where is Anchor based?
Anchor is based in Chapel Hill, United States.
When was Anchor founded?
Anchor was founded in 2025.