Two college kids raise a $5.1 million pre-seed to build an AI social network in iMessage

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TLDR

  • Series, an iMessage-based social networking app built by two Yale seniors, raised a $5.1M pre-seed round.

Key Facts

  • Investors include Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail, Pear VC, and GPTZero founder Edward Tian.
  • Users text a Series AI phone number on iMessage; it returns a carousel of 10 profile cards for potential connections.
  • Founded by Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow in early 2025; the platform is active across 750+ campuses with 82% Day-30 retention.
  • The company has eight employees, operates out of Chelsea, New York, and neither founder has dropped out of Yale.

Why It Matters

  • Series operates entirely through iMessage rather than a standalone app, making it structurally distinct from other AI networking tools.
  • The 82% Day-30 retention figure, if accurate, is notably high compared to benchmarks cited for early-stage social platforms.

Dominic-Madori Davis / TechCrunch · 2026-04-24 · Read the original