By: Micah Zimmerman · Entrepreneur · April 10, 2025
When Yale juniors Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow set out to rethink online networking, they didn’t just build another social media app—they built Series, an AI-powered professional networking platform designed to foster genuine, meaningful connections.
And in just 14 days, they raised $3 million in venture capital to make it happen (entrepreneur.com).
Rethinking Networking: The “Anti-Facebook”
Unlike traditional platforms focused on follower counts and polished posts, Series uses AI “friends”—personalized agents that learn about users’ goals and introduce them to the right people in their network. Instead of cold outreach or random chance, the platform engineers serendipity, connecting users with potential cofounders, mentors, investors, or collaborators at exactly the right time.
Johnson calls it “the next iteration of human connection,” free from the pressure to curate a perfect image. “We’re not trying to replace real-world relationships—we’re making it easier to find the right ones,” Hargrow explains.
From Idea to $3 Million
Both founders came to Yale with strong entrepreneurial instincts—Johnson as a builder since childhood, Hargrow with the competitive drive of a former athlete. They hosted The Founder Series podcast, learning from successful entrepreneurs that luck often plays a pivotal role in startup success.
Their own “lucky break” came after a spontaneous trip to California to meet investor Anne Lee Skates. One dinner later, she signed on as Series’ lead investor. Over the next two weeks, introductions snowballed into meetings with VC firms, ultimately closing their $3M round.
Building More Than a Company
For Johnson and Hargrow—both young, Black, and breaking into a tech world where they remain underrepresented—Series is as much about representation as it is about innovation.
“When I was younger, I didn’t see a lot of people who looked like me building what I was building,” Johnson says. “Now I can see my childhood self looking up to me.”
Their platform is a direct response to an over-curated online world, aiming to connect people based on who they are, not just what they project.
Read the full article here: These Yale Students Raised $3 Million in 14 Days to Build Their ‘Anti-Facebook’ Startup