Series, a social networking startup founded by two Yale University seniors, has raised $5.1 million in a pre-seed funding round backed by prominent technology investors.

The company, launched early last year by Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow, secured funding from Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail, Pear VC, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, and GPTZero founder Edward Tian.

Series describes itself as a next-generation social networking platform rather than an artificial intelligence app.

According to Johnson, who serves as chief executive officer, the platform is among the first social networks designed to operate entirely through Apple’s iMessage.

Users begin by texting a dedicated Series AI phone number on iMessage, introducing themselves and describing the type of people they want to connect with.

In response, Series AI sends back what it calls “shares” — a swipeable carousel of 10 images featuring posts from other users seeking similar connections.
Each card in the carousel displays a user’s photo along with a brief description of what they are looking for.

If interested, users can press and hold a carousel image to initiate a private conversation within the Series AI chat, allowing them to connect without revealing their personal phone number.

Johnson, a computer science and economics major, is building his company at a pivotal moment in the technology industry, defined by rapid advances in artificial intelligence and unprecedented levels of investor capital.

He represents a new wave of young founders launching businesses that are AI-first from day one — an approach investors say provides a competitive edge over established companies and older entrepreneurs now racing to adapt to the fast-evolving landscape.

Johnson and Hargrow met during their freshman year while working on a podcast at the Yale Entrepreneurial Society.

According to Johnson, the pair interviewed founders and chief executives to learn what it takes to build a successful company. Through those conversations, he said, they came to appreciate “the power of warm connections.”

“We then proceeded our freshman summer to start a business independent from the club and incorporate a company around that same thesis, using AI as a warm connection facilitator,” Johnson said.

Series new funding will be deployed to recruit additional engineers and broaden the platform’s product capabilities as it scales.