Fact check: Yale students Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow raised $5.1 million for their social network app, Series.

Verdict: verified — Trust Score 100/100

The claims in this post are confirmed by 8 sources including TechCrunch, Black Enterprise, and the Yale Daily News. The $5.1M funding round and the app's presence on 750 campuses are confirmed by multiple reports from late April 2026.

verified verification card — Trust Score 100/100
Platform
instagram
Source author
founded — see all fact-checks of this account
Original post
https://www.instagram.com/p/DXuBCnZjIO1/?igsh=MXdlcnc0amVtN3ZucQ==
Verified on
May 1, 2026
Verification ID
tGA-5eN-093b3tZ-8Y45cQ

Original content reviewed

Platform: INSTAGRAM Author: @founded --- Caption/Description --- These two Yale students have just raised $5.1M for a social network already on 750 campuses. For context, that’s more campuses than early stage Facebook. Meet Nathaneo Johnson [@nathaneo_j] and Sean Hargrow [@_2woot], the founders of Series [@series.so]. They’re still taking exams, but their iMessage-based networking app already has 300,000 profiles and 82% 30-day retention. The idea came from a simple realisation. Opportunities don’t come from cold DMs, they come from warm introductions. So they built Series to match students using AI, helping people find the right connection. They filmed their launch trailer overnight, which led to their first investor two days later. Now they’re backed by Pear VC, Reddit’s CEO, and Venmo’s co-founder. --- Carousel/Slides (10 items) --- Slide 1 (image): Text: FOUND INDED THESE TWO STUDENTS ARE BUILDING A NEW SOCIAL NETWORK, AND IT'S ALREADY ON MORE CAMPUSES THAN EARLY FACEBOOK S . Credit: Series HERE'S HOW Slide 2 (image): Text: Series co-founder Nathaneo Johnson grew up without a role model. "My mom used to always have the TV set to business news so I could get inspired by those shaping the world. But I never saw someone who looked like me." So he decided to become the role model he never had. Slide 3 (image): Text: Nathaneo met his now co-founder Sean Hargrow during freshman year at Yale, while working on a podcast together. Nathaneo was studying computer science and economics, meanwhile Sean was studying neuroscience. The two instantly clicked… Credit: Series Slide 4 (image): Text: Then one day, they had a realisation… The best opportunities don't come from cold messages or scrolling feeds. They come from warm introductions, someone who knows someone, who can help you. → Slide 5 (image): Text: Their product, Series, lives inside iMessage, text a number, say who you are and who you want to meet. Series Welcome to Series :

Claims analyzed (6)

  1. verified: Yale students Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow raised $5.1 million for their social network app, Series.
    Multiple news reports from April 2026 confirm that the Yale duo raised $5.1 million in a pre-seed funding round for their startup, Series.
  2. verified: The Series app is currently active on 750 college campuses.
    Reports from April 2026 state that the product is used by students across more than 750 campuses, up from 650 in late 2025.
  3. verified: The Series app has 300,000 user profiles.
    The Yale Daily News reported in fall 2025 that the platform had drawn more than 300,000 profiles, a figure cited by multiple outlets in 2026.
  4. verified: The Series app has an 82% 30-day retention rate.
    Founder Nathaneo Johnson has publicly claimed an 82% 30-day retention rate for activated users, which has been reported by tech news outlets.
  5. verified: Series is an iMessage-based networking app that uses AI to match students.
    The app's core functionality—operating entirely within iMessage and using AI for 'warm introductions'—is its primary distinguishing feature reported by all sources.
  6. verified: Series is backed by Pear VC, Reddit’s CEO, and Venmo’s co-founder.
    Investors in the $5.1M round include Pear VC, Steve Huffman (Reddit CEO), and Iqram Magdon-Ismail (Venmo co-founder).

Sources consulted (11)

Related verifications

AI-generated analysis. Not a substitute for professional fact-checking.