Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow, juniors at Yale University, have raised $3 million in just 14 days to fund their startup, Series, an AI-powered social networking app designed to foster meaningful connections and challenge platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram.
The duo, who co-host the podcast The Founder Series, created the app after recognizing a gap in how digital platforms help people connect. Series focuses on facilitating authentic introductions rather than accumulating likes, followers, or engagement metrics.
“Social media is great for broadcasting, but it doesn’t necessarily help you meet the right people at the right time,” Johnson said in an interview with Entrepreneur magazine.
Series connects users through AI “friends” who communicate via iMessage and assist in making introductions. Users input specific needs—whether looking for co-founders, mentors, collaborators, or investors—and the AI facilitates introductions based on mutual value. The concept draws comparisons to LinkedIn but with a more personal experience.
“You’re posting pictures on Instagram, you’re posting videos on TikTok, and you’re posting job posts on LinkedIn… and that’s where you essentially have this micro-influencer syndrome,” Johnson added.
The app seeks to avoid the superficial nature of typical social platforms. Hargrow emphasized that while aesthetics often dominate Instagram and content virality drives TikTok, Series is about purposeful, intentional networking.
“We’re not trying to replace real-world relationships—we’re trying to make it easier for people to find the right relationships in the first place,” Hargrow said.
Parable Ventures led the pre-seed funding round, which included participation from Pear VC, DGB, VC, 47th Street, Radicle Impact, Uncommon Projects, and several high-profile angel investors, including Reddit CEO Steve Huffman and GPTZero Founder Edward Tian. Johnson referred to one investor meeting as a “million-dollar dinner,” reflecting how their pitch resonated with early backers.
Though not business majors, Johnson and Hargrow leaned into entrepreneurship through their podcast, in which they interview founders and C-suite leaders about the lesser-known elements of building a company—like accounting, business law, and team formation.
Since Series launched in test phases, more than 32,000 messages have been exchanged between AI “friends.” The app’s initial focus is the college entrepreneur market. Still, the founders hope to expand into finance, dating, education, and health—eventually aiming to build the world’s most accessible warm network.
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