Our Story
I started want because I was tired. Tired of apps that reduced people to a photo and a punchline. Tired of swiping through faces and feeling nothing. I think most people know that feeling, the sense that something fundamental is broken about how we meet each other now.
Swipe-based platforms are designed to keep you scrolling, not to help you connect. They optimise for engagement, not for the kind of moment where someone actually sees you. I wanted to build the opposite.
Founded in London and now welcoming members across the UK, want was built around one belief: the most meaningful connections happen when you lead with substance. Our process is deliberately slow, deliberately considered. Every feature exists to protect the experience, from identity verification to Voice Moments to the mutual yes that means both people chose to be there.
For its first year, want grew quietly alongside a real community in London, learning what actually helps people connect before the app was ever built. It wasn't built for that community, it was built with it.
We're a small team building something we wish existed. Not a platform that monetises loneliness, but a community that values depth, safety, and the kind of connection that's worth the wait. Whether you're here for a relationship or new friends, the intent is the same. Friendship is opening in waves, starting with a founding group.