Sequence, a social networking app, introduced that it raised a $5.1 million pre-seed spherical, with buyers together with Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail, Pear VC, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, and GPTZero founder Edward Tian. The corporate was based early final yr by Yale college students Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow, each nonetheless seniors on the college.
Sequence considers itself to be a next-generation social networking platform, reasonably than an AI app, and hails itself as one of many first to work solely via iMessage, Johnson, the CEO, informed TechCrunch.
Customers textual content a telephone quantity (Sequence AI) on iMessage, explaining who they’re and who they want to join with. From there, Sequence AI messages the consumer again, providing what is named “shares”— or a carousel of 10 photos that one can simply swipe via — of posts from different individuals additionally utilizing Sequence AI seeking to join for the same motive. Every carousel card contains an individual’s photograph and their ask, and customers can press and maintain the carousel photograph to start out a non-public dialog with one other consumer within the Sequence AI chat, with out sharing their private quantity.
Johnson, who’s learning pc science and economics, is a founder throughout a novel time in tech historical past, marked by fast AI developments and extra investor cash than ever earlier than. He’s a part of the following era of younger founders whose companies and mindsets are AI-first from inception, one thing buyers say provides younger founders a head begin over incumbents and older founders who’re attempting to pivot and catch up.
He sees the trade present process a large expertise shift from consumer interfaces to dialog interfaces, like from Google search to ChatGPT, “the place you’re used to scrolling via libraries and clicking on web sites versus conversing with AI or one thing else to shortly establish what you’re searching for.”
Johnson and Hargrow met whereas engaged on a podcast of their freshman yr on the Yale Entrepreneurial Society. Johnson mentioned they used to interview founders and CEOs to achieve insights into constructing a profitable enterprise, and thru these conversations, “realized the facility of heat connections.”
“We then proceeded our freshman summer season to start out a enterprise impartial from the membership and incorporate an organization round that very same thesis, utilizing AI as a heat connection facilitator,” Johnson mentioned. He and Hargrow, who studied neuroscience at Yale, went via a number of iterations of what’s now Sequence. Once they landed on an idea they preferred, a few yr after their first prototype, they started fundraising for it in March 2025, constructing a workforce of eight within the course of.
Techcrunch occasion
San Francisco, CA
|
October 13-15, 2026
Johnson and his workforce determined to make a now-viral LinkedIn video in regards to the launch of Sequence. “We got here up with the trailer concept at 1 a.m. the evening earlier than, stayed up all evening to shoot the video and posted it at 3 p.m. that very same day,” Johnson mentioned. Two days later, they met their first investor.
The platform not too long ago opened up past its college-student base however nonetheless goals to focus on Gen Z and professionals. Most individuals use it for enterprise causes, Johnson mentioned, although they’ve seen others use it for courting or to search out pals. “College students use Sequence throughout greater than 750 campuses,” he mentioned. “Activated customers on Sequence retain at 82% via Day 30, larger than early Fb’s benchmark.”
Others on this space include Boardy AI, which additionally makes use of AI to foster community introductions.
Sequence’ contemporary capital will likely be used to rent extra engineers and develop product capabilities. After commencement, the corporate will keep on the East Coast, and already works out of an workplace in Chelsea, New York (they make the two-hour commute from New Haven, Connecticut, the place Yale is, to New York steadily, Johnson mentioned).
“We’ve got constructed an preliminary community for Sequence amongst the Ivy League and extra prominently, faculties within the East Coast. Additionally, we now have a powerful perception in Silicon Alley,” Johnson mentioned of the choice to remain East, matching a pattern of younger client founders selecting New York over Silicon Valley.
Notably, he and Hargrow have not dropped out of college. Johnson mentioned a great day is one the place every part runs easily, however a foul one will be one the place he has a bunch of exams and essays to write down whereas additionally balancing operating a workforce. He didn’t drop out, he mentioned, as a result of he felt he had time to each examine and run an organization. Appears he was proper.
“Your additional time exterior of your supposed obligation can be utilized to catapult what you’re actually meant to do,” he mentioned. “Individuals are usually so scared to utilize their additional time.”
While you buy via hyperlinks in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t have an effect on our editorial independence.
