Yope, a startup building an algorithm-free, private social network focused on "micro communities," secured $12.3 million in funding led by Northzone. The app, with 15 million users, aims to offer a premium, ad-free experience for real-world connections, leveraging AI for games and real-life meetups.
Plex is launching new social features like Discussions and Lists to foster community and improve content discovery, aiming to rival platforms like Reddit and Letterboxd. The update also includes a Match Score and Alerts, alongside a significant price hike for its Lifetime Plex Pass.
Series, a next-generation social networking app founded by Yale students Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow, raised a $5.1 million pre-seed round from investors including Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail, Pear VC, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, and GPTZero founder Edward Tian. The platform operates entirely through iMessage, allowing users to text Series AI to connect with others based on shared interests or needs, presenting potential matches as swipeable carousels. The company, still based on the East Coast with an office in Chelsea, New York, has expanded beyond its initial college student base to target Gen Z and professionals.
