Series Raises $5.1M Pre-Seed For IMessage-Based Social Network

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

April 27, 2026

Innovative Approach To Social Networking

Series raised $5.1 million in a pre-seed round backed by investors including Iqram Magdon-Ismail, Pear VC, Steve Huffman, and Edward Tian. Founded by Yale students Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow, the platform operates entirely through iMessage, positioning itself as a different approach to social networking.

Revolutionizing Connection With Conversational Interfaces

Unlike traditional social platforms, Series uses a conversational model rather than a standalone app interface. Users begin by sending a text message to a dedicated number, describing who they are and what type of connection they are looking for. The system then returns a curated set of profiles, typically presented as a group of ten options, allowing users to explore and connect without sharing personal phone numbers. The model combines elements of messaging, discovery, and private interaction within a single flow.

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Strategic Timing In A Disruptive Era

The launch comes amid broader shifts toward AI-driven interfaces. Johnson, who studies computer science and economics, points to a transition from traditional app-based navigation to conversational interaction models. This shift mirrors changes seen across the industry, where text-based interfaces are increasingly used to simplify user experiences. At the same time, strong investor interest in AI startups has created favorable conditions for early-stage platforms exploring new formats of interaction.

From Yale Podcast To Start-Up Success

The idea for Series emerged from the founders’ involvement in the Yale Entrepreneurial Society. Through interviews with founders and operators, Johnson and Hargrow observed the importance of warm introductions in building networks. Early traction followed a viral LinkedIn video, which helped attract attention and initial investment. That progression highlights how early distribution and storytelling continue to play a role in startup growth.

Expanding Horizons And Future Growth

Initial adoption has been strongest among students, with users reported across more than 750 campuses. The platform is now expanding toward broader Gen Z and professional audiences. Retention metrics show 82% of users remaining active after 30 days, a level that compares favorably with early benchmarks from platforms such as Facebook. New funding is expected to support hiring, product development, and scaling of the platform’s infrastructure.

Balancing Academics And Entrepreneurial Ambition

Alongside building the company, Johnson continues his academic work at Yale. Maintaining both roles reflects a growing trend among early-stage founders who develop companies while still in university, rather than delaying entry into the market.

A Bold Vision For The Future

Series reflects a broader shift toward conversational interfaces in social networking. As the platform develops, its focus remains on facilitating direct, curated connections rather than broad, open networks. Continued growth will depend on how effectively it scales this model beyond early adopters while maintaining user engagement.

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Women Make Up A Majority Of The EU’s Science And Technology Workforce But The Real Gap Is Elsewhere

by News Editor

June 25, 2026

Women now make up the majority of the EU’s science and technology workforce. According to Eurostat, in 2025, more than 81.6 million people aged 15 to 74 were employed in science and technology occupations across the EU. Of those, 52.5% were women, equal to 42.8 million women. The number of women in these occupations rose by 27.9% compared with 2015, an increase of more than 9.3 million over a decade.

On the surface, the numbers resemble progress. However, Eurostat’s category requires context before that figure can be read accurately. The data refers to HRST, or Human Resources in Science and Technology, specifically people employed in science and technology occupations. These are roles where the main tasks require professional or technical knowledge in physical and life sciences, but also in social sciences and humanities. That definition is wider and broader than engineering, ICT, laboratory science, or high-tech research alone.

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Zooming In

The gender picture changes once the data moves from a wider definition of the workforce to the narrower scientist-and-engineer (research and manufacturing) subgroup.

Scientists and engineers represented almost a quarter of all people employed in science and technology in the EU in 2025. Eurostat describes scientists and engineers as often being the innovators at the centre of technology-led development, making them an important subgroup to focus on separately.

Women accounted for only 40.8% of scientists and engineers in 2025, despite making up more than half of the wider category. That share has increased by a mere 0.5 percentage points over the past decade. The absolute number of women working as scientists and engineers rose from 5.3 million in 2015 to 8.2 million in 2025, despite the push from national and international organisations to increase the number of women in the field. Europe has expanded the number of women in science and technology occupations over ten years. However, that expansion has not extended equally into the scientist-and-engineer subgroup, where much of Europe’s research and innovation work is conducted.

In 2025, of the 39.4 million women aged 25 to 64 working in science and technology occupations in the EU, 35.5 million worked in service activities. Only 2.7 million worked in manufacturing. Women accounted for 57.5% of science and technology employment in services, but only 31.3% in manufacturing.

In 2025, the highest shares of women employed in science and technology occupations were recorded in Latvia at 62.4%, followed by Hungary’s Great Plain and North region at 61.1%, Estonia at 60.5%, Poland’s Central macroregion at 60.4%, and Lithuania at 60.3%. No EU country recorded a majority of women among science and technology workers in manufacturing.

Break-down

Eurostat’s figures measure employment in broad science and technology occupations. They do not show job security, pay levels, management roles, promotion rates, research leadership, or whether women are concentrated in junior or senior workplace positions.

The classification of “senior” also requires additional explanation. Eurostat reports that 45.9% of science and technology workers aged 25 to 64 in the EU were classified as “senior” HRST in 2025. In this dataset, “senior” refers to workers aged 45 to 64. It does not mean senior manager, senior researcher, team lead, or decision-maker.

A high female share in the wider Human Resource Science and Technology (HRST) category does not parallel equal representation across scientists, engineers, manufacturing roles, senior posts, pay, research funding, or decision-making. These figures also reflect the occupational mix inside each country or region, not only structural progress across all areas of science and technology.

The Case Of Cyprus

Eurostat data places Cyprus’s overall science and technology employment at 37.2% of the labour force in 2025, slightly above the EU-27 figure of 36.9%, and above Greece at 26.8%, Malta at 33.9%, and Turkey at 18.2%. This figure covers the total share of the labour force employed in science and technology across all genders.

Progress Or Work-in-Progress?

52.5% in the broad category. 40.8% among scientists and engineers. 31.3% in manufacturing. Europe’s gender gap in science and technology hasn’t closed yet, and there is still work to be done to encourage and support more women to enter the field, especially in research and manufacturing.

Let’s not wait another decade for another couple of percentage points of hope.

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