Our Story

In 2009, our founder, Ishdeep Sawhney, turned 30 and knew he was ready to get married. He just didn’t know how. Like most of us, he had made some good connections, but had yet to find the perfect match.

It was this difficult search that sparked a powerful realization for him. There must be a more effective way to find someone whose values are intuitively aligned with his own. How could he find that person who understands him so well that she could finish his sentences and he finish hers?

To help improve his chances of finding that kind of intuitively aligned partner, Ishdeep began reimagining how people search. He turned to neuroscience to learn about the way people make decisions. From his research, he created a series of questions to ask potential spouses, each question designed to identify shared values between them.

After the introduction, he would ask this fixed set of questions to every potential partner. Some found it challenging to answer them, but admitted they understood what they wanted a little better afterwards. Most of them didn’t match. A few were close. But one was off the charts.

It didn’t matter to Ishdeep that they had not yet met in person. He flew to Delhi to meet her on a Saturday and they were married the following Sunday. They now have two children and a relationship built on a foundation of shared values. They enjoy life together and are also discovering their own paths and passions.

The series of questions that brought Ishdeep and his wife together have now evolved into a powerful artificial intelligence system called Rae. This is the engine that makes Banihal the best way to find your perfect match and finally gives you the ability to meet someone you can confidently commit to.