By Mareska Chettiar, Co-T/E Life Editor
The online dating scene has risen in popularity over the past decade, offering algorithms that pair people with each other based on a variety of factors. Annie Xu, a 2014 alumna, launched a Philadelphia-based startup dating service called Pairfect that offers real matchmakers to create a more intentional and personalized online dating experience.
“A lot of modern dating is in apps, (and) a lot of women feel like it can be a very isolating, superficial experience,” Xu said. “I wanted to create a solution that felt much more personalized, where we could really support someone going through the modern dating world.”
After signing up for Pairfect, members create their profile and receive a link to schedule a call with a matchmaker to find a match in the Philadelphia area. The matchmaker will eventually pair them with someone who they deem to be a good fit for them. When Xu first launched Pairfect in October 2023, she was the only matchmaker, working alone to pair people together. Since then, she has grown her team to 13 members, many of whom come from therapist backgrounds like Xu.
“Generally, people’s intentions who come to our service are that they want to enter a relationship. They’re not just there to play games or ghost people,” Xu said.
Xu reached out to 2015 alumnus Connor Lake, Lead Technical Consultant at Pairfect, to build the V1 prototype of the platform. Xu and Lake knew each other from their time together at Conestoga and in Science Olympiad.
“She (Xu) reached out to me over a year ago, asking if I knew any developers looking for work,” Lake said. “I told her I could think of some people, but I had a consulting company, and maybe we could work together that way, and she was on board.”
Xu and Lake spent about five months building Pairfect. Though Lake is no longer actively involved with the platform, he designed its structure and functioning, prioritizing security, user experience and functionality.
“Annie was a pleasure to work with,” Lake said. “She’s thoughtful towards the experience she wants to create towards users and she’s a great team problem solver. It felt like Annie was very much part of my team as we built this together.”
Pairfect currently has a reach of about 2000 people, and operates entirely online, with members talking to matchmakers over video calls. Pairfect has also partnered with restaurants and cafes around Philadelphia to encourage matches to meet in person. Pairfect matches who meet at these locations will receive a discount on their order.
“Our main focus is to really bring people together, from the messaging and texting to in-person dates,” Xu said. “The restaurants we partner with offer coupons, so any couple we set up are able to get discounts as a perk for going on their first date and trying a new spot in the city.”
Mareska Chettiar can be reached at [email protected].
