Tired of the dating apps? Have you tried matchmaking

Published by Stuff, 8 July 2026

Compatico CEO Elise Dalrymple-Keast on the Breeze House of Wellness. Interviewed by Carolyn Taylor

There's internet folklore that the average man has to ‘swipe right’ 1000 times to get a single coffee date.

Whether that's true or not, the sentiment tracks. A recent survey by Compatico found fewer than one in 10 Kiwi singles find dating exciting anymore, while a Forbes Health survey found 78% of dating app users reported experiencing dating burnout. The story goes, women are inundated with the admin of dating app matches they just can't keep up with.

Compatico chief executive Elise Dalrymple-Keast says that's where matchmaking comes in. "We want to make matchmaking mainstream because we see it as a really viable alternative to endless swiping and being stuck behind a screen," she says.

Compatico markets itself as a premium matchmaking agency and singles community. It was founded by businesswoman Theresa Gattung, who has since stepped away from the business.

Launching in 2024, Compatico says it now has over 500 members and helped more than 60 people find love — expanding beyond Auckland to Wellington and Christchurch.

While standard dating apps cost nothing more than a click, Compatico events start at $395 annually, and matchmaking memberships start from $995 annually.

Elise says while matchmaking is relatively new in New Zealand, it’s established in the US and has been going on for centuries in places like India.

Why do the apps fail?

"My partner is amazing," Elise says. "But if we were on the apps I don't think we would have matched."

She met her partner in real life, as a flatmate. On paper, their interests were completely different, hers in sport and fitness and his in Dungeons and Dragons. "Through the apps I would've been like, 'Oh no, we have nothing in common,' which is just so not the case."

How Compatico works

When people join, they're interviewed. "We try to make it more of a conversation," Elise explains. "We're trying to find out things like relationship history and learnings, what you like to do day-to-day, your hobbies and interests, what you're looking for, your social network. We let it flow naturally so people don't come in thinking, 'Oh my God, this is a job interview.'"

Once they have a photo, profile, and have done police checks on everyone, they're in the system. Algorithms suggest possible matches, but Elise and her team review every one. Then humans make the final matches. "Sometimes people might be ranked quite low in terms of crossover, but we just think, 'I have the perfect person for you in my mind,'" Elise says. When there's a potential match, they get in touch.

The results

The highest number of successful couples at Compatico are aged 70 plus. "The people in their 70s who join are young 70s," Elise explains. "They're often maybe out on the farm, or they're out doing their sporting activities. They've got really quite active, vibrant lifestyles."

"By that stage, you're a little bit clearer on what actually is important. You kind of just let a lot of the unimportant stuff drop away," she says. The younger people are, the more criteria they have.

Compatico used to run events once a quarter. Now in Auckland, they run two to three a month. "People are recognising that the apps are not working for them, and they're wanting to find something different," Elise says.

Elise Dalrymple-Keast was speaking to The House of Wellness radio show.

Read the original article here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/wellbeing/361002499/tired-dating-apps-have-you-tried-matchmaking