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Two Students Land $5.1M to Turn iMessage Into an AI-Powered Social ...
Series, a new social networking app built around conversation-based networking, has raised a $5.1 million pre-seed round. The funding drew an eye-catching mix of backers, including Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail, Pear VC, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, and GPTZero founder Edward Tian.
Series bags $5.1M pre-seed to build AI-powered social network inside ...
© Series Series, a social networking startup built around AI-assisted introductions via iMessage, has raised $5.1 million in a pre-seed funding round. Investors include Pear VC, Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, and GPTZero founder Edward Tian. The company was founded in 2025 by Yale students Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow, who are both still completing their undergraduate studies. What The Company Does Series is building a social networking platform that operates entirely through iMessage, positioning itself as a conversational alternative to traditional social apps. Instead of a standalone feed-based interface, users interact with the platform by texting a dedicated phone number. After sending a message describing who they are and who they want to meet, users receive curated “shares” from Series AI. These appear as swipeable carousels of profiles, each containing a photo and a short description of what the person is looking for, whether that is professional connections, collaboration opportunities, or other types of introductions. Users can then press and hold a profile to initiate a private conversation through the same iMessage thread, without exchanging personal phone numbers. The system is designed to reduce friction in making introductions while keeping communication inside a familiar messaging environment. The company frames itself less as an AI tool and more as a new type of social network built around conversational interaction rather than feeds or search. Market Context / Industry Background Series is part of a broader shift in consumer internet products toward AI-mediated interactions and conversational interfaces. As large language models become more capable, startups are increasingly exploring systems where discovery, networking, and matching are handled through dialogue rather than scrolling-based feeds or manual search. This trend also reflects a transition away from traditional social media structures, where users passively consume content, toward systems that actively generate connections based on intent. Messaging platforms like iMessage provide a natural entry point for this shift due to their high engagement and low friction for communication. At the same time, investor interest in early-stage AI-native consumer products has grown significantly, particularly those built by younger founders who are designing with AI as a core system rather than an added feature. Series is also positioned with...
AI Social Networking App Series Raises $5.1 Million in a Pre-Seed Round
NEW YORK, April 25, 2026 — Series, a social networking app built by Yale students Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow, has raised $5.1 million in a pre-seed round from a group of well-known investors. The funding reflects early interest in products that do not rely on traditional apps.
AI Social Networking App Series Raises $5.1 Million in a Pre-Seed Round
When two users express interest, the system connects them directly. There is no need to exchange phone numbers or move to another platform.
