A new wave of social networking is emerging from Ivy League corridors — and this time, it’s not about likes or followers. Series, a Gen Z-focused AI platform built by two Black Yale students, is officially launching from stealth with a $3 million pre-seed round. Its mission? To make meaningful networking effortless and bias-free — directly inside iMessage.
Series: A Fresh Take on Social Networking
Series introduces AI Friends — intelligent agents that live in iMessage and facilitate warm, double opt-in introductions among students. Unlike traditional social networks that rely on public likes and follower counts, Series strips away vanity metrics to focus on mutual value and authentic connections.
Each user gets an AI Friend that learns about their network and interests, making intros autonomously or on request. The experience mimics having a super-connected friend in your pocket, one who knows just the right person to connect you to — and why.
Built by Yale Juniors, Backed by Silicon Valley
Co-founders Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow, both juniors at Yale, pulled off what many seasoned founders only dream of — closing a funding round in just 14 days.
After posting a viral trailer on LinkedIn, the duo landed a call with Anne Lee Skates, a former Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) investor and founder of Parable, who led the round. What followed was a blitz of meetings in Silicon Valley, culminating in a $3 million pre-seed round backed by:
- Parable
- Pear VC
- Tim Draper’s DGB.VC
- 47th Street (Jaren Glover, ex-Robinhood)
- Radicle Impact
- Uncommon Projects
- Notable angels, including Steve Huffman (CEO of Reddit) and Edward Tian (founder of GPTZero)
Rebuilding Social Trust in the Age of AI
According to Johnson,
“The problem of quantifying value online isn’t new — it started with Facebook in 2004. Series is a direct foil to that system.”
The platform is intentionally exclusive to .edu emails, cultivating a trusted student ecosystem. Instead of public profiles bloated with vanity stats, users receive a minimalist profile via their AI Friend, showcasing only their warm connections and shared interests.
With over 32,000 messages already processed, Series is proving that students are eager for something new: meaningful connections rooted in trust and relevance — not clout.
How Series Works: AI-Powered, Human-Centered
The product lives in iMessage, where users simply text their AI Friend to describe themselves and their network. From there, the AI recommends introductions based on overlapping interests or potential mutual value. These intros only happen when both parties opt in — ensuring privacy and intention on both sides.
Early feedback highlights just how natural the experience feels. One Northeastern student, Rich Zou, shared:
“I forgot it wasn’t a real person. That was until I connected to a real person through a profile Oliver (my AI Friend) sent me. It was awesome.”
From Campus Hackathons to Billion-AI Scale
What began as a podcast interviewing Yale founders evolved into a viral chatbot for curated introductions at Yale and Princeton. Now, Series is positioning itself to expand far beyond college campuses.
“Once we capture the college entrepreneurial market, we’ll move into finance, dating, education, health — anything where trust and social capital matter,” says Johnson. “Our long-term vision is one billion AI Friends facilitating trusted introductions for everything, everywhere.”
A Platform Rooted in Inclusion
Johnson and Hargrow aren’t just building another startup — they’re rewriting the narrative. As Johnson put it, “We’re 6’5”, Black, and technical — a direct foil to the Harvard story.” Their story, and Series itself, challenges the biases and gatekeeping entrenched in traditional networks.
With the platform’s public launch, Series is also hiring across engineering, product, and growth. Details are available on their website.
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