Run date: May 10, 2026

Criteria: AI companies that raised < $15M in the last 12 months (May 2025 – May 2026)

Note: Compiled from public press releases, TechCrunch, Crunchbase, and other funding trackers. LinkedIn profile URLs are provided where confirmed; otherwise use the company page or the founder's name as a search hint.

1. Series (US) – $5.1M Pre-seed

• Date: April 2026
• HQ: New Haven, CT / San Francisco, CA
• What they do: AI-powered social network operating entirely through iMessage. Users text Series AI describing who they are and who they want to connect with; the system surfaces matches via image carousels.
• Investors: Pear VC (lead), Iqram Magdon-Ismail (Venmo co-founder), Steve Huffman (Reddit CEO), Edward Tian (GPTZero founder), Anne Lee Skates
• Founders:
  • Nathaneo Johnson, Co-founder & CEO – Yale undergrad. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathaneo-johnson/
  • Sean Hargrow, Co-founder – Yale undergrad. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanhargrow/
• Company links:
  • Website: https://series.so
• News coverage:
  • TechCrunch: https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/24/two-college-kids-raise-a-5-1-million-pre-seed-to-build-an-ai-social-network-in-imessage/
  • Entrepreneur: https://www.entrepreneur.com/starting-a-business/yale-students-raised-3m-in-14-days-for-anti-facebook/489578
  • GlobeNewswire: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/04/04/3056141/0/en/Yale-founders-raise-3-1M-in-14-days-to-build-Series-the-anti-Facebook.html

2. Empromptu (US) – $2M Pre-seed

• Date: December 2025
• HQ: San Francisco, CA
• What they do: No-code AI app builder for enterprises. Users describe what they want (e.g. classification or recommendation app) and the platform builds it, with LLM tools for fine-tuning. Targets regulated industries.
• Investors: Precursor Ventures (lead), Alumni Ventures, Founders Edge, Rogue Women VC, South Loop, Zeal Capital, Edith Harbaugh (LaunchDarkly co-founder)
• Founders:
  • Sheena Leven, Co-founder & CEO – previously founded CodeSee (acquired 2024). LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheenaliven/
  • Sean Robinson, Co-founder – AI researcher. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-robinson-ai/
• Company links:
  • Website: https://empromptu.ai