Two Yale University students raised $5.1 million [1] in pre-seed funding for Series, an AI-powered social networking app built within iMessage.
The funding highlights a growing trend of integrating artificial intelligence directly into existing messaging ecosystems to reduce user friction. By leveraging iMessage, the platform avoids the need for users to download a standalone application, a common barrier for new social networks.
Series was founded by Yale seniors Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow. The platform uses AI to facilitate networking and social connections, operating entirely through the Apple messaging interface. TechCrunch said the app has already grown popular on college campuses.
MSN said that the two Black Yale students are on their way to building the next social network powered by artificial intelligence. The pre-seed round of $5.1 million [1] provides the capital necessary to scale the infrastructure and expand the user base beyond the initial campus environment.
The project focuses on utilizing AI to streamline how users discover and connect with others. By embedding the experience in a tool users already open daily, the founders aim to create a seamless networking layer that exists as a conversation rather than a traditional profile-based directory.
This approach targets a demographic of students and young professionals who prefer asynchronous communication over the high-pressure environments of traditional social media platforms. The founders are positioning Series as a utility for networking that feels like a personal chat.
“Series, a social networking app that's grown popular on college campuses”
The successful pre-seed funding of Series suggests that venture capital is shifting toward 'invisible' interfaces where AI acts as a middleware within established apps. By bypassing the app store download process and utilizing iMessage, the founders are betting that integration into existing habits is more valuable than owning a proprietary user interface.
