KCL student launches dating app to match you with your crush only if they like you back

A King’s College London (KCL) student has launched a brand new dating app to help people match with their crushes.

Daniel Cunningham, a neuroscience and psychology masters student at King’s, created Goldrush after noticing that fear of rejection or embarrassment was stopping many people from ever finding out if the feeling was mutual between them and their crush.

Speaking to The King’s Tab, Daniel explained: “At uni you usually fancy people inside existing social circles. It might be someone on your course, in a sports society, or someone you keep seeing on nights out. The problem is that telling someone you like them can feel high risk.”

He continued: “Goldrush was built around that moment. It is a way to find out if your uni crush likes you back without the awkwardness of making the first move.”

As for the inspiration behind the apps name, Daniel said: “The name comes from a period some northern universities call “Goldrush” at the end of third year. Exams are finished, everyone is out celebrating, and people have mental lists of who they would love to bump into before leaving uni.”

He added: “I studied at Leeds before King’s and the idea stuck with me. I started thinking what if you could create that risk-free feeling year-round.”

The app works by students signing up with their Instagram handle and a code being sent to verify their account via DM. Once their account is verified, they land on their list page where they can add up to five people they have a crush on by entering their Instagram handle.

When two people match, that’s it. There’s no awkward talking stage and no swiping right as you simply find out if your crush feels the same way.

Most Read

Amber explains the very serious reason her lips looked different at the Love Is Blind reunion

Oh no, we now know the real reason Samie and Ciaran broke up so fast after All Stars

The reason Myron split from his ‘one-way monogamy’ girlfriend Angie after Louis Theroux’s doc

Unlike other dating apps, Daniel explained that Goldrush is based more on real life: “You’ll most likely see that person at a lecture, in the library, or on a night out. The match hopefully gives you the confidence to go and start the conversation.”

“It is a completely risk-free way to find out if that person also likes you back”, he said.

Daniel first started building the app in November, after attending a talk by the King’s Entrepreneurship Institute about AI tools for building apps.

Since the apps launch a few weeks ago, with a sports night social at The Vault, around 230 verified users have joined with just over 50 matches. 

However, there are also over 120 King’s students who are currently on at least one Goldrush list but have not created an account yet.

Some of these people are even on multiple lists and Daniel explains these matches are already “waiting to happen” without people even realising.

The app is currently exclusive to KCL students, but when asked about future plans for the app, he said: “If the concept takes off at King’s, the plan is to expand to other London universities like UCL and LSE before rolling it out to universities in the north. If it works at King’s, it should work anywhere.”

For more of the latest news, guides, gossip, and memes, follow The King’s Tab on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.