Built for
real-life
friendships
ChatFindr helps people meet nearby through interest-based group chats — a lower-pressure way to go from “first hello” to real friendships.
How it all started
Many people feel socially disconnected even when they’re active online. A lot of platforms optimize for speed instead of compatibility, which can turn connection into awkward performance. We wanted to make it easier to find the right local people and start conversations that grow naturally.
Our approach
Interest-based, group-first discovery. Browse local group chats so you learn about people in context first, then build friendships through friend-gated connections — a calmer, more repeatable path to real social momentum.
The impact we hope for
We hope ChatFindr helps more people feel connected in real life — not just online. By making it simpler for locals to find each other, form friend groups and follow through on plans, communities grow stronger through everyday relationships.
What we believe
Group first
Conversations start in the group, so nobody has to open with a cold DM.
Friends before DMs
Private messages are limited to people you’ve connected with as friends.
Safety built in
Hide your profile from Nearby any time, and report people or chats right in the app.
Local by default
Everything is centered on people and plans near you — so online turns into offline.
Hi, I’m Jacob
I spent most of my life moving around, and I wanted a way to meet people nearby that felt more natural — practical, less awkward, and built on repeated conversation that can turn into real-world friendship.
With six years of software engineering and design training, I took ChatFindr from concept to production app — design, development and infrastructure.