“Is there something wrong with me?”
That was the question that haunted Alyssa Chua growing up, when feelings of isolation made her turn to books for comfort and answers. Through reading, Alyssa picked up skills, such as the ability to vocalise gratitude and ways of showing appreciation, that helped her connect with others.
She soon realised that there might be others with similar experiences and did not have the tools to form and build relationships with others, leading her, together with co-founder Cayden Gwee, to start Amble, a social app that got its start as a Telegram bot in 2023. The platform helps match users anonymously based on whether they are seeking platonic, romantic, or both types of connections.
We spoke to the duo about Amble’s concept, how they grew it into a full-fledged mobile app, and, most importantly, whether building the startup was worth leaving their full-time jobs.
How it works
Getting started on Amble is simple. Users begin by completing a profile and selecting the type of connections they’re open to.
To make the experience more wholesome than your typical matchmaking app, the platform uses a point system. Users can earn “Aura” points by answering “Daily Thoughts”—short reflective prompts such as “What does success look like to you?” or “What are you most grateful for today?”
Their responses can then be seen by potential matches, sparking more meaningful conversations from the start. The Aura points earned are used to unlock matches with other users.
AI powers much of the experience. It evaluates users’ openness to conversations and matches them based on shared values and goals.
At first, matches remain anonymous, which lowers social pressure and encourages honesty. While chatting, the app also provides random prompts for both users to respond to, where they can earn additional Aura points.
These prompts can range from simple ones, like whether they have unusual hobbies, to ones that provoke deeper thought. The AI adjusts the complexity of these prompts based on comfort levels, helping users ease naturally into deeper, more thoughtful conversations.
In total, each match lasts for three days, after which users can choose whether to move the chat into their permanent inbox.
More than just matchmaking
From its design alone, it’s clear that Amble is neither a traditional dating app nor a typical social media platform. Its mission, Alyssa and Cayden stressed, goes far beyond that.
According to Alyssa, most dating platforms prioritise swipes and dopamine hits, leaving users stuck in superficial exchanges. Social media, on the other hand, rewards polished highlights rather than genuine sharing.
Having tried a few dating apps himself, Cayden added that most platforms often leave users to their own devices when they match up with other strangers, and that some apps frequently try to encourage users to pay extra money for more “quality” matches.
However, this has led to an emphasis on image, with conversations often being superficial in nature, resulting in a surge in dating burnout and lower self-esteem due to excessive social media usage. In fact, in Singapore, nearly 60% of young Singaporeans reported feeling lonely, struggling to build and maintain meaningful connections.
Amble’s anonymity flips this dynamic, letting people reveal more authentic sides of themselves without fear of judgment.
However, some features within the app are available only to paying members. To ensure long-term sustainability, Amble introduced premium memberships for both its bot and app users, unlocking extra conversation tools and more opportunities to match.
Still, Alyssa emphasises that the core experience remains free, with revenue from memberships currently going toward covering operating costs.
Left their full-time jobs to grow Amble
Since launching the bot in 2023 and soft-launching the app this April, Amble has garnered over 13,000 users. According to the pair, this success is a result of a consistent, iterative process of building new upgrades and features over the years.
To keep up with the platform’s growth, Alyssa and Cayden, who connected through the local music community, both left their full-time jobs in mid-2024 to focus on developing Amble full-time.
Alyssa initially started Amble as a passion project while working as product manager, and Cayden, a software engineer, joined her later on. Together, they aimed to create spaces where people could connect meaningfully. According to the duo, their bot remains the first of its kind.
However, just like many businesses, being the first mover does not guarantee getting the most benefits anymore, and having substantial capital is imperative for its survival and, if you’re lucky, for scaling up. Was it a wise move to leave their stable careers to pursue something that carries a high risk of failure?
For Alyssa, it was all part of the plan to test demand with the Telegram bot. In addition, a TikTok series she created helped further boost Amble’s presence. Encouraged by the viral traction on the platform and messages from users who formed genuine friendships and relationships, the pair decided to go all.
If I really wanted to make a product that could work well and actually have more of these stories come to life. So I think it got to a point where we felt like there was enough traction, and we felt like we wanted to give it a go, and that’s why I decided to leave my job.
Cayden Gwee, co-founder of Amble
They bootstrapped the venture with support from grants by the National Youth Council and Startup SG, channelling most funds into AI infrastructure and security.
Amble aims to become the Duolingo for conversations and connections
Through these advancements, Alyssa shared that Amble has helped its users to build connections by making conversations more intuitive, particularly through gamification, thanks to the app’s Aura ecosystem.
“Maybe that’s low-hanging fruit, but then you can see how it sort of affects your conversations later on. I think that’s where the real magic happens.”
Moving forward, Cayden shared that the duo will work on strengthening the safety of their bot and app. However, he also pointed out that implementing advanced features, such as AI-assisted moderation and image verification, requires substantial capital and that they will have to manage their finances closely.
Both founders have also set their sights to grow more holistically and sustainably, and as such, are exploring referral mechanisms and refining their premium plans for users.
Their end goal? To become the “Duolingo for conversations” that turns small prompts into lasting communication skills that users carry into real life.
Featured Image Credit: Amble
