Grove is a same-day dating app to help frustrated daters cut through the noise and connect in real life now — not tomorrow, not eventually.
Despite more online dating options than ever before, genuine human connection has never felt further away. Traditional dating apps are overwhelming and often ineffective: users wade through countless inactive profiles, stale likes, and unread messages, making it increasingly difficult to find someone truly compatible. And even when a match does occur, conversations often stall, feel forced, or dissolve into endless back and forths that never lead to a real date.
Grove is different. It’s built for intentional daters who are tired of swiping without results and want to meet in person — not just swipe aimlessly and message endlessly. While most dating apps try to solve for compatibility through bios, prompts, and curated photos, Grove solves for something more important: timing. Because even the best match doesn’t matter if they’re never available to meet.
Users open the Grove app when they’re currently available and ready to meet, and they’ll only see profiles of other users who have done the same. No collecting matches or acquiring penpals. Every profile you see is live, present, and actively looking to connect in real time. It’s a refreshing shift from the usual dating fatigue, where momentum is constantly lost to delay, doubt, or distraction. On Grove, the intent is mutual and immediate — which makes every interaction feel more meaningful, and far more likely to lead to something real.
Grove is designed by founders who have experienced the frustrations of modern dating firsthand, and they’re building the kind of product they always wished existed. Grove is proud to be joining the 2025 cohort of Columbia Startup Lab as they prepare to launch in the App Store later this year. As they grow, they’re eager to learn from and contribute to the vibrant CSL community of founders, mentors, and investors.
Dating can be exhausting. It comes in waves of hope and disappointment. People often make plans with the best intentions, only to cancel when the moment arrives. In a world full of ghosting, indecision, and “maybe laters”, time has become the most important factor in dating. Grove is built around that truth — empowering users to connect in the moment, when they’re actually ready.
Grove: For the available.
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Founded by Austin Fountain, Columbia Business School