Yale Students Raise $5.1 Million In Pre-Seed Round For AI Social Network
Social network platform Series has raised a $5.1 million in a pre-seed round, according to TechCrunch. The round included investors such as Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail, Pear VC, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, and GPTZero founder Edward Tian.
Founders Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow met at Yale after both joining the university’s Society for Aspiring Entrepreneurs.
About Series
Users on Series can request support from other network users, such as an entrepreneur seeking help writing a business plan. The request is made to an AI-powered agent, which Series calls the agent your “AI friend.” It then explores the network to introduce the user to other members who might be able to help.
The startup focuses on connecting people with mutual value rather than building a network where people aim for a high following. The concept came from a podcast series Johnson and Hargrow built, including interviews with Yale entrepreneurs. They then launched a web-based chatbot to host curated introductions. Series expands on that.
$5.1 million pre-seed round
The new capital will allow Series to hire more engineers and amplify product capabilities. Last year, it raised $3.1 million in a pre-seed funding round. The $3.1 million round is led by Parable, the venture firm led by former a16z investor Anne Lee Skates, with involvement from Pear VC and DGB.VC, 47th Street, Radicle Impact, and Uncommon Projects.
Image: Series
