By Riley Kaminer
Base is redefining how people connect by fostering intellectual communities across the country.
With a mission to bring great minds together, the Miami startup has carved out a unique space for people to meet, discuss, and grow around shared topics of interest.
“The best way for people to meet isn’t through transactional networking events but by engaging in meaningful conversations around intellectual topics,” said Kaben Clauson, co-founder and CEO of Base. This philosophy has helped Base build forums for diverse individuals to connect deeply, creating collisions of different backgrounds and ideas.
Since launching in Chicago last fall and Austin in November, Base has rapidly grown. Both cities experienced quick adoption, and the platform is now expanding into 15 additional cities this year, including DC, Denver, Charlotte, Nashville, and Miami. Each city takes on its own flavor – for instance, as Miami exudes glitz and glam, Austin embraces its characteristic weirdness.
Base’s unique approach has been fueled by $3.5 million in funding to date, including a $3 million round led by Treble in October. This financial backing has enabled the company to refine its platform and grow its user base sevenfold in 2024, both in members and revenue.
Clauson emphasized that Base’s growth strategy is not just about scale but about maintaining the health of its communities.
“We’re very intentional about balancing our ethos,” he said. “For example, if a city skews too heavily toward tech professionals, we’ll intentionally target people from the sciences or other backgrounds to keep the community vibrant and diverse.”
This deliberate approach extends to their advertising strategy, which focuses on finding members who align with Base’s values rather than just optimizing for the lowest cost per lead.
The tech behind Base has also evolved significantly. In the early days, the platform relied on basic matching algorithms. Today, Clauson noted, over 30 factors are considered to ensure balanced and meaningful connections. Base has spent significant time improving its algorithms, incorporating feedback from users who rate their experiences, and customizing factors like age preferences and professional backgrounds.
“Our algorithm’s gotten smarter on its own, dramatically improving the quality of matches,” Clauson asserted.
A new feature in development, Base Match, will take this further by offering one-on-one matching. Using geo-location and double opt-in technology, Base Match can suggest coffee spots for users to meet, creating a lower-pressure alternative to group events. “It’s like finding a needle in a haystack – the perfect person for a particular moment in your life,” Clauson explained.
Base is also making its offerings more accessible. While some events remain premium, others are priced as low as $35, encouraging people to explore topics outside their main interests without a significant financial commitment.
With a team of 17 full-time and 35 part-time employees, Base continues to refine its product while expanding its reach. Beyond solving loneliness for close friends, Clauson noted, Base focuses on building the “community of friend 5-150” – people you know, whose worldview you understand, and who bring richness to your network. “We’re giving people that feeling of tribe,” he said.
Photo at top of this post: Base co-founders CEO Kaben Clauson, right, and CTO Ricardo Vázquez.
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