Read the pitch decks of 14 startups looking to disrupt dating apps and social networking that have raised millions

New social, professional networking, and dating startups are coming onto the scene. VCs and angel investors are funding some of these promising startups. Here are the pitch decks 14 startups used while raising rounds from pre-seed to Series A. A new generation of consumer social startups is emerging. From platforms focused on getting people to meet IRL to dating apps taking on Tinder or Hinge, startups are disrupting the digital social scene. Founders of these startups are tackling problems like loneliness , dating app fatigue , and general dissatisfaction with the current social media incumbents. Some founders come from Big Tech backgrounds, like the Instagram-heavy team behind photo-sharing app Retro, or the ex-Google employees building the social-mapping app PamPam. Gen Z founders are also throwing their hats in the ring, like Isabella Epstein's IRL-focused app Kndrd, or Tiffany "TZ" Zhong's Noplace app . Investors are taking notice. For instance, the IRL-social app 222, which matches strangers over dinner or activities with a personality quiz, raised a $2.5 million seed round from venture capital firms like 1517 Fund, General Catalyst, and Best Nights VC in 2024. "We're entering this new wave of social where people are trying to revert back to what people really use these platforms for to begin with - which is connection," Maitree Mervana Parekh, a principal at Acrew Capital, told Business Insider in 2024. Meet 19 startups in social networking, dating, and AI that investors have their eyes on Some venture capital funds - such as French firm Intuition VC or gaming-focused firm Patron - have made tackling loneliness and relationships part of their investment theses. But it's not just friendship and dating that are ripe for disruption. Startups like Khosla Ventures-backed Gigi , Yale- student-founded Series , Boardy, Filament, and Goodword have raised capital for AI tools to help people network better or maintain professional relationships . "When people think about loneliness, they think about friends and family," Goodword CEO Caroline Dell recently told Business Insider. "But we spend most of our waking hours at work as professionals." Meet the founders of 11 startups competing with dating app giants like Tinder Other startups, like Diem and Spill, have opened up investment rounds to include users themselves using the platform Wefunder . It's not yet clear how many of these investments will pan out. Some startups are pre-revenue, while others are experimenting with monetization methods (such as freemium models). "Founders have to be honest with themselves," said Marlon Nichols, a founding partner at Mac Venture Capital . "Some of them aren't really venture-scale or venture-type investments. We're looking for the next big thing, the next category leader." Meet 12 VCs and investors eyeing new social startups Business Insider spoke with several social media and dating app founders about how they are raising capital, including the pitch decks they used to raise millions of dollars. Read the pitch decks that helped 14 social-networking and dating startups raise millions of dollars: Note: Pitch decks are sorted by investment stage...

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