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A pair of Yale seniors have quietly raised $5.1 million to grow a new networking service that runs entirely inside Apple’s messaging app and uses AI to match people. The funding signals investor appetite for “AI-first” social tools that prioritize conversational discovery and privacy-friendly introductions over public profiles.
What the app does
The service, called Series, asks users to text a single contact — labeled Series AI — via iMessage. After describing who they are and the type of connection they want, users receive a scrollable set of profile cards from others seeking similar introductions.
Each card shows a photo and a short request; users can long-press a card to open a private chat with the other person without exchanging their personal phone numbers. The design aims to make warm, targeted introductions feel as simple as messaging a friend while keeping direct contact info private.
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Founders and funding
Series was built by Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow, who met at Yale while working on a campus podcast. They started iterating on the idea during their first year and began formal fundraising in early 2025. The new capital will be used to hire engineers and expand product features as the company scales beyond its initial college user base.
- Round: $5.1 million pre-seed
- Founders: Nathaneo Johnson (CS & economics) and Sean Hargrow (neuroscience), both Yale seniors
- Notable backers: Iqram Magdon‑Ismail (Venmo co‑founder), Pear VC, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, and Edward Tian (GPTZero founder)
- Primary platform: iMessage chat interface
Traction and audience
Series has expanded beyond campus-only use while keeping a focus on Gen Z and young professionals. The startup reports active users across more than 750 campuses and says 30‑day retention for activated users sits around 82% — a figure the founders compare favorably to early social networks.
Most activity appears career-focused — networking, recruiting, and project collaborations — though people also turn to the app for dating and social connections. The team has been deliberate about seeding the network along East Coast universities and maintaining a presence in New York City.
Why this matters now
Investors and founders increasingly describe today’s shift as moving from browsing interfaces to conversational ones: instead of opening search results or scrolling feeds, people expect to ask, be guided, and get direct matches through chat. For networking, that change could reduce friction and speed introductions — particularly for students and early-career professionals who lack established contacts.
At the same time, tools like Series raise practical questions about moderation, authenticity, and how algorithms surface potential matches. Competitors such as Boardy AI are already pursuing similar goals, suggesting this category is emerging rather than singular.
For users, the immediate implications are clear: easier, less public routes to make professional connections; for recruiters, a new channel to discover candidates; and for universities, a fresh method for alumni and students to connect.
Where the team goes from here
The founders plan to keep operating on the East Coast after graduation, running the product out of a Chelsea, Manhattan office while frequently commuting from New Haven. The funding round will accelerate engineering hires and product development as they refine matching and conversational features.
Balancing final-year coursework with running a startup has been part of the founders’ story. They say maintaining both commitments has been manageable so far, and that the experience of building a company alongside school informed their focus on creating useful, warm introductions.
The wider takeaway: as AI continues to change how people find each other online, apps that combine conversational interfaces with privacy-preserving connection mechanics are likely to attract both users and capital — especially among younger cohorts who live in messaging apps.
