Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow, both 21-year-old juniors at Yale, proved that speed is crucial in the startup world when they secured $3 million in funding for their AI-driven networking platform, Series, in just two weeks.
Their journey isn’t just about rapid success. It’s about breaking barriers as young Black founders in an industry where representation remains scarce, according to Entrepreneur.
“We’re 6’5″, Black and technical—a direct foil to the Harvard story,” Johnson said, drawing a contrast to Facebook’s origins. “And that difference is the reason Series tells a new story of how people connect online.”
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The duo launched Series with a vision to transform digital networking, believing that traditional platforms prioritize superficial metrics over meaningful relationships. Their solution? An AI-powered system designed to foster authentic connections.
Johnson, studying computer science and economics, and Hargrow, a neuroscience major, weren’t newcomers to entrepreneurship. Through their podcast, The Founder Series, they interviewed successful entrepreneurs and identified a recurring theme: luck often played a pivotal role in success.
“Luck is what led to their first funder, the first customer, their first investor,” Johnson explained. “So we thought, this is somewhat serendipitous, but it ends up being the difference-maker. How could we engineer that luck?”
This insight shaped Series. The platform uses AI agents, dubbed “AI friends”, to facilitate introductions. Users train these agents via iMessage, describing the type of connections they seek, whether a cofounder, investor, or mentor. The AI then scans the network to find compatible matches, eliminating the need for cold outreach.
Unlike conventional social media, which emphasizes broadcasting content, Series focuses on private, intentional networking. “Social media is great for broadcasting, but it doesn’t necessarily help you meet the right people at the right time,” Johnson said.
Traditional platforms, he argued, encourage performative behavior. “You’re posting pictures on Instagram, you’re posting videos on TikTok, and you’re posting job posts on LinkedIn… and that’s where you essentially have this micro-influencer syndrome.” In contrast, Series prioritizes authenticity, allowing users to engage with AI that understands them deeply before connecting them with real people.
“We’re not trying to replace real-world relationships,we’re trying to make it easier for people to find the right relationships in the first place,” Hargrow said.
Their backgrounds — Johnson from Irvine, California, and Hargrow from Queens, New York — shaped their entrepreneurial drive. Johnson built walking sticks for the visually impaired as a child, while Hargrow, a former athlete, saw parallels between the unpredictability of sports and startup life.
Their fundraising journey began with cold emails and warm introductions, evolving into a masterclass in pitching. They learned to present Series with what Hargrow calls “ethical confidence.”
“If I am approaching a girl, I’m not going to tell her, ‘Well, I’m okay, but there are a lot of hot guys out there as well,'” Hargrow said. “I’m going to find a way to ethically tell her I’m the best guy ever.”
Yale’s ecosystem played a key role in their success. “Being at Yale gives us an unprecedented level of access to networks we wouldn’t have had otherwise,” Hargrow admitted. A chance meeting with investor Anne Lee Skates led to a pivotal dinner in California, securing their lead investor and accelerating their funding round.
“That dinner changed everything,” Hargrow recalled. “I’ll always remember it as a million-dollar dinner, quite literally.”
For Johnson and Hargrow, Series represents more than just innovation; it’s about visibility and opportunity. “When I was younger, I didn’t see a lot of people who I could look up to because they didn’t look like me or build what I was building,” Johnson reflected. “I can see my childhood self looking up to me now.”
As AI reshapes communication, they’re betting on a future where genuine connections triumph over curated personas. “Don’t write anyone off,” Hargrow said. “In building a platform that relies on you literally not taking someone’s face value but actually getting to who they are… that requires someone who is down with the idea of never writing anyone off.”
