gotcha!

Catch Conversations. Make Real Connections.

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Inspiration

Toronto is one of the most diverse and vibrant cities in the world... but it can also be one of the loneliest. Over half of Canadians report feeling lonely, and in a city where so many people are new or always on the move, making real friends can be tough. We saw this at hackathons and local events to: people want to connect, but it’s hard to know how to start. That’s why we built gotcha! - a playful way to make meeting new people easier and more fun. Inspired by the joy of games like Pokémon Go, gotcha! gets people up, moving, and talking to each other in real life. Through light challenges and shared goals, it turns strangers into teammates - and maybe even friends - by making socializing feel less awkward and a lot more human.

What it does

gotcha! is a location-based web app that lets you “catch” people nearby (not Pokémon, but real humans). When two users are within close proximity, one can “catch” the other with a single tap. The person who is caught then receives a personalized SMS message prompting them to view the catcher’s profile and start a conversation with custom ice breakers based on their shared interests.

It’s a fun and frictionless way to connect at events, campuses, co-working spaces, or even local cafés.

How we built it

Challenges we ran into

Accomplishments that we're proud of

it worked

What we learned

What's next for gotcha!

  • Add consent toggles and invisible mode for people who don’t want to be caught.
  • Let users add more details to their profile (ie. age)
  • More niche interests options
  • Launch gotcha! at real hackathons, schools, or conferences to help people connect in ways that feel natural, spontaneous, and fun.

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