1969 – Konami (Japan) – Japanese gaming company behind LovePlus, a Nintendo DS dating sim often described as a virtual girlfriend game, where players carry a virtual girlfriend and build a real-time relationship (Konami - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) (New Loveplus+ Heading To 3DS in Japan | Nintendo Life).
1994 – Artificial Life, Inc. (USA/Hong Kong) – Early mobile AI company (originally Boston-based, later in Hong Kong) that pioneered 3G phone “virtual girlfriend” games (the V-girl series) requiring users to chat with and dote on an animated partner (Artificial Life Extends Supported Handset Base and Releases).
1996 – Abyss Creations (USA) – California-based maker of RealDoll lifelike silicone love dolls, which in recent years began integrating AI personalities (Harmony AI) into its dolls to create interactive robotic companions that talk back and simulate a virtual partner (Abyss Creations’s Competitors, Revenue, Number of Employees, Funding, Acquisitions & News - Owler Company Profile) (Owler Reports - Abyss Creations: Robotica Episode 5: Sex Dolls That Talk Back).
2001 – Illusion (Japan) – Japanese adult game studio known for developing VR Kanojo (2017), a virtual reality “girlfriend” simulation game where players interact with a virtual girl in intimate scenarios using a VR headset (VR Kanojo - Wikipedia).
2011 – Scatter Lab (South Korea) – Seoul-based AI startup behind “Lee Luda,” a chatbot persona of a 20-year-old college student that drew 750,000 users within 20 days by engaging in friendly and romantic chats, effectively becoming a virtual girlfriend for many young Koreans (South Korean AI chatbot pulled from Facebook after hate speech towards minorities | South Korea | The Guardian).
2013 – Gowild (China) – Shenzhen-based AI holographics company creating “virtual life” products like Amber, a holographic anime girl assistant who chats, sings, and keeps users company inside a glass pyramid display (This Chinese ‘Alexa’ Is a Singing, Holographic Anime Girl | PCMag) (Gowild | Virtual Life Technology for Smart Homes, AI Startup at appengine.ai).
2014 – Vinclu (Japan) – Startup that developed Gatebox, a home device displaying a tiny holographic anime wife named Azuma Hikari; this voice-interactive character was designed as a comforting companion for those living alone, fulfilling a virtual spouse/waifu role (This Japanese Company Wants to Sell You a Tiny Holographic Wife) (This Japanese Startup Has Created a Hologram Assistant to Control All Your Devices | Product News | Tokyo Otaku Mode (TOM) Shop: Figures & Merch From Japan).
2014 – Luka (Replika) (USA) – AI company whose product Replika is a chatbot app that acts as a personal companion; millions of users have formed deep friendships and even romantic bonds with their Replika AIs, often treating them as digital partners (Our New Best Friend: AI?).
2016 – Apperry (iGirl) (UK) – London-based team behind iGirl, an AI “virtual girlfriend” app launched in 2016 that offers an immersive dating-sim experience: users chat with a customizable AI waifu character and even take personality tests to shape their virtual companion’s persona (Beyond Tinder: These startups are using AI to fuel love — TFN).
2020 – Xiaoice (China) – Originally a Microsoft project, now an independent company, Xiaoice is an AI chatbot famous in China for engaging users in emotional, romantic interactions; millions of (mostly male) users consider themselves Xiaoice’s “boyfriends,” as the bot is explicitly designed to form affectionate bonds (Men in China Are Falling in Love With Their AI Girlfriend - InsideHook) (Men in China Are Falling in Love With Their AI Girlfriend - InsideHook).
2020 – Chai (UK/USA) – Cambridge-born startup (relocated to California) that created Chai, an AI chat platform known for its conversational AIs as companions; the app’s chatbots serve as virtual friends or partners – a digital confidante that users flirt with and rely on for emotional support (Cambridge-born AI chatbot startup Chai announces $205M valuation — TFN).
2021 – Character.ai (USA) – Silicon Valley company offering a platform for user-generated AI characters; launched in 2021, Character.ai lets anyone create chat personas and has become popular for role-playing virtual friends or waifus – personal AI characters with whom users can have open-ended conversations (Character.ai - Wikipedia) (Character.ai - Wikipedia).
2022 – Candy AI (Malta) – Startup providing “AI girlfriend” chatbots; Candy AI (launched 2022) delivers flirty, playful virtual companions for immersive romantic chats, billing itself as “the ultimate AI girlfriend experience” for users seeking a fun, low-commitment digital romance (Beyond Tinder: These startups are using AI to fuel love — TFN).
2023 – FantasyGF (Czech Republic) – Platform founded in 2023 by Martin Galovic that lets users craft their dream virtual partner – FantasyGF allows customization of an AI girlfriend’s personality, appearance and interests, so users can interact with a tailor-made “waifu” perfectly suited to their tastes (Beyond Tinder: These startups are using AI to fuel love — TFN).
2023 – DreamGF (Romania) – Launched in early 2023, DreamGF simulates a full virtual romance: users can chat intimately, go on virtual dates or vacations, and share activities with an AI partner, aiming to recreate the excitement and emotional intimacy of a real relationship through advanced AI algorithms (Beyond Tinder: These startups are using AI to fuel love — TFN).
2023 – Oh (UK) – A London-based startup (launched late 2024) building an “AI OnlyFans” of erotic companion bots – Oh offers autonomous AI “girlfriend” characters (some even as digital twins of real creators) that proactively flirt and engage in NSFW chats, catering to users seeking adult virtual relationships (Meet the AI OnlyFans: How one startup raised millions to build an ‘erotic companions’ platform | Sifted) (Meet the AI OnlyFans: How one startup raised millions to build an ‘erotic companions’ platform | Sifted).