Two Black Yale students are on their way to building the next social network powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
When Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow first met during their freshman year at the Yale Entrepreneurial Society, they were interviewing founders and CEOs to better understand how to build a successful business. It was then that they “realized the power of warm connections,” according to an interview with TechCrunch.
That realization drew them into wanting to introduce the concept of warm introductions through their platform, Series, a next-generation social networking platform.
With just a little over a year under its belt, Series has officially raised a $5.1 million pre-seed round, which includes Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail, Pear VC, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, and GPTZero Founder Edwar Tian as its initial investors.
Deemed as the first social networking platform to work entirely through iMessage versus an AI app, Series users are able to text a phone number (Series AI) to explain who they are and who they aim to connect with.
Series AI then messages the user back via what are described as “shares,” a carousel of 10 images of others’ posts they can easily swipe through to find someone with an ask similar to their own. Each card includes the person’s photo and request, and users can tap the carousel photo to start a private conversation with another person without sharing their personal number, as the Series AI chat serves as the home for the conversation.
Johnson is currently studying computer science and economics at Yale, while Hargrow is studying neuroscience. As someone with firsthand experience in the evolution of technology, Johnson notes that the industry is shifting away from user interfaces toward conversational interfaces such as Google Search and ChatGPT.
After landing on the concept in March 2025, the duo began fundraising and built a team of eight to bring Series to what it is today.
Its first major marketing push was unconventional: a reality television show titled “The Series,” which streamed live via Twitch in August 2025.
“We’re
rewriting the startup playbook,” Johnson told Forbes at the time. “If we’re going to capture attention, we have to build community in the most public way possible.”Another unorthodox approach by the founders is that Hargrow and Johnson have decided to continue with school as they build Series from the ground up.
For Johnson, a smooth day can be thwarted by a lot of schoolwork, all while maintaining a team to run the company; however, it is a challenge he’s willing to accept.
“Your extra time outside of your supposed obligation can be used to catapult what you’re truly meant to do,” said Johnson. “People are often so scared to make use of their extra time.”
The series will use its recent capital to hire more engineers, plans to expand product capabilities, and aims to stay on the East Coast, following a trend of young founders who are opting for what Johnson calls “Silicon Alley” rather than taking their talents out west to Silicon Valley.
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