Hinge CEO Justin McLeod Steps Down to Lead AI Dating Startup

The CEO and founder of Hinge, Justin McLeod, has stepped down from his role to start a new independent dating service — Overtone — that is backed by Match Group.

Key Highlights

• Hinge founder and CEO Justin McLeod exits to lead Match Group-backed AI dating startup Overtone.
• Hinge president Jackie Jantos takes over as CEO, ensuring continuity as Match explores AI-led innovation.

Under the leadership change, Hinge’s current president and chief marketing officer, Jackie Jantos, will take over as CEO. Jantos has played a leading role in Hinge’s geographic expansion (notably into Europe and Latin America) and in evolving the app’s product direction to appeal especially to Gen Z users. 

Overtone — originally incubated within Hinge during 2025 — will operate independently. The startup aims to deploy artificial-intelligence and voice technologies to build a new kind of matchmaking experience focused on more thoughtful, personal connections rather than conventional “swipe-based” matching. 

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As part of the transition, Match Group announced it will lead Overtone’s first funding round in early 2026 and maintain a significant equity stake. McLeod will serve as Overtone’s chairman, and he will continue to advise Hinge through March 2026 to help with the leadership handover.

This shift underscores Match Group’s strategy to invest in experimental AI-driven products while keeping its established apps like Hinge under steady leadership. For McLeod, moving from running Hinge to focusing on Overtone seems driven by a belief that AI-powered matchmaking could be the way forward for online dating — blending technology with a deeper sense of human connection.