LATEST DEVELOPMENT
Two 21-year-old Yale juniors secure $3 million in venture funding for Series, an AI-powered networking platform designed to facilitate meaningful connections through personalized "AI friends."
INDUSTRY TALK
"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."
FOUNDERS BACKSTORY
Key team insights:
Nathaneo Johnson (computer science/economics major)
Sean Hargrow (neuroscience major)
Hosts of The Founder Series podcast
Both identified luck as critical factor in startup success
Self-described as "6'5", Black and technical"
PLATFORM INNOVATION
Series differentiates through:
AI agents trained via iMessage to understand user needs
Focus on private introductions versus public content
Emphasis on authentic connections over curated personas
Direct matching with mentors, investors, or friends
Network-based "engineered luck" approach
FUNDRAISING JOURNEY
Capital acquisition involved:
Pivotal meeting with Anne Lee Skates (lead investor)
Spontaneous California trip for "million-dollar dinner"
Two-week whirlwind Bay Area VC tour
Yale network providing critical access
Cold emails transforming into warm introductions
THE BOTTOM LINE
As two young Black founders in tech, Johnson and Hargrow aren't just building a networking platform, but challenging existing social networking paradigms by creating an AI-driven system that prioritizes meaningful human connection over metrics and content broadcasting.