Series, a social networking app, has raised a $5.1 million pre-seed round with investors such as Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail, Pear VC, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, and GPTZero founder Edward Tian. Founded last year by Yale students Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow, the app operates entirely through iMessage, facilitating connections by sending users a carousel of posts, allowing private chats without sharing personal numbers. Johnson sees a shift from user interfaces to conversation-based technology. The founders, inspired by their podcast experiences, developed Series to serve as a warm connection facilitator using AI. After a successful viral LinkedIn video, they began fundraising in March 2025, expanding to a team of eight. The app targets Gen Z and professionals, retaining 82% of users past 30 days. Series plans to use new funds to hire engineers and expand, continuing operations from the East Coast. Both founders have chosen to remain in college, balancing studies with running their company.
Two College Students Secure $5.1 Million Pre-Seed Funding for AI Social Network on iMessage
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