Series, a social networking app that operates entirely through iMessage, announced a $5.1 million pre-seed funding round in 2026. The round drew investors including Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail, Pear VC, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, and GPTZero founder Edward Tian.
The company was founded by Yale seniors Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow, who began working on the concept during their freshman year and incorporated the company the following summer. They started fundraising in March 2025, two days after a viral LinkedIn video about the launch helped them meet their first investor.
Series works by having users text a dedicated phone number on iMessage, describing who they are and who they want to connect with. The app responds with “shares” — a carousel of 10 profile cards from other users with similar connection goals. Users can initiate a private conversation directly within the Series chat without exchanging personal phone numbers.
Johnson, who studies computer science and economics, serves as CEO. Hargrow studied neuroscience. The two met through the Yale Entrepreneurial Society, where they hosted a podcast interviewing founders and CEOs. Those conversations, Johnson said, led them to focus on what he described as “the power of warm connections” and to build a company around using AI as a facilitator of those connections.
Johnson sees the broader tech industry shifting from user interfaces to conversation interfaces — a transition he compared to the move from Google search to ChatGPT. Series positions itself as a next-generation social network rather than an AI app, targeting Gen Z users and professionals. The platform is active across more than 750 campuses and reports a 30-day user retention rate of 82%, which Johnson said exceeds early Facebook’s benchmark. Most users engage with the platform for professional networking, though some use it for dating or finding friends.
The company operates out of an office in Chelsea, New York, while Johnson and Hargrow continue their studies in New Haven, Connecticut, making the two-hour commute frequently. Neither founder has dropped out of college. The fresh capital will go toward hiring engineers and expanding the product. Johnson said the company plans to remain on the East Coast after graduation, citing a belief in what he called “Silicon Alley.” The company currently has a team of eight.
Source: TechCrunch