Yale juniors Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow have raised $3 million in pre-seed funding for Series, an AI-powered social networking platform targeting Gen Z users. The round was led by Parable, the venture firm launched by former a16z investor Anne Lee Skates, with participation from Pear VC, Tim Draper’s DGB.VC, 47th Street, Radicle Impact, Uncommon Projects, and individual investors including Reddit CEO Steve Huffman and GPTZero founder Edward Tian.
The funding was secured in just 14 days after Johnson posted a teaser trailer on LinkedIn that gained rapid attention among student entrepreneurs. The traction led to a Zoom meeting with Parable’s Skates, followed by an in-person fundraising trip to Silicon Valley, where the round quickly came together.
Series differentiates itself from traditional social platforms by prioritizing meaningful, AI-facilitated introductions over engagement metrics such as likes or follower counts. The product operates directly within iMessage through personalized AI agents – or "AI Friends" – that facilitate double opt-in connections between users based on mutual value. A .edu email is required to join, creating a student-only environment that emphasizes trusted, purposeful connections.
The platform's origin traces back to The Founder Series podcast, where Johnson and Hargrow interviewed fellow Yale entrepreneurs and gained over 500,000 views. This later evolved into a web-based chatbot that curated introductions, eventually leading to the development of Series. Since launch, users have exchanged over 32,000 messages through the AI Friends.
Early feedback from users suggests strong engagement. Northeastern student Rich Zou shared, “I forgot it wasn’t a real person – until I got a texted introduction to someone through a minimalist profile. It was awesome.”
The founders say their long-term vision for Series extends beyond college campuses. Future plans include expansion into industries such as finance, dating, education, and healthcare – all areas where trust and access to networks are critical. “Our goal is to build the most accessible warm network in the world,” said Johnson. “We want to put a billion AI Friends in people’s pockets over the next decade.”
