Yope raises $12.3M to build a private social network without algorithms or ads
As social media has evolved from a place to connect with friends to large-scale entertainment platforms, a startup called Sure is quietly building what it believes will be the future of online connections: social networks without algorithms, without ads, and without public content.
Yope’s app, now backed by a $12.3 million seed round led by North zoneis taking on tech giants like Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram by building a social platform focused on what it calls “micro-communities” – or small groups where friends and family interact privately, share photos, videos, messages and, soon, play games.
The idea of building private social media without algorithms isn’t new, but few apps have managed to scale without the addition of creator-owned content to keep users engaged. Yope hopes to change that by encouraging connections between real friends, making it as much of a communication tool as it is a place to share photos or life updates.
On Sureaccounts are private by default and there is no algorithmic feed. It is also not supported by ads, but instead focuses on developing a premium, subscription-based experience for power users.
Bahram Ismailauthe London-based co-founder and CEO of Yope, says the team saw the potential for a new type of social network after conducting more than 100,000 interviews – aided by AI tools – to better understand how young people around the world were using social networks. They found that about 30% used so-called photo dump or “spam” accounts, where users share more candid photos with a smaller group of real friends.
Meanwhile, many people don’t share anything publicly, instead relying on messages to keep up with their friends.
“[Young people] There is no place for them to express themselves if they are not ready to be an influencer,” Ismailu emphasizes in an interview with TechCrunch. Yet teens still want to do that; they just want more privacy.
“We found this great opportunity to create a new space for young people to be social. We called it Yope, and it’s an AI-native social platform for young people and the next generation.”
He clarified that the team does not believe in using AI to create content; rather, it sees AI as a tool that can help create better connections. That includes using AI to create mini-games you can play with your friends, a feature expected to launch in about a month. It also aims to use AI to help users meet in real life, for example by buying tickets to an event or finding a restaurant or bar where they can watch a football match.
On Yope, users create their own profiles by sharing photos, which can be turned into cut-out stickers. Instead of being organized into albums, the photos are displayed in a collage-like, almost chaotic arrangement on each user’s “wall.” Soon, Yope users will be able to further customize their space by adding their interests, favorite music and mini-games, and customizing the look and feel with colors and backgrounds of their choice.
The idea is reminiscent of MySpace, where users once created their own space on the Internet and customized it to reflect their personality.
The app also borrows heavily from existing social platforms and now offers standard features like in-app messaging, top moment summaries, and lock screen widgets that show off your friends’ photos. During launch, the app will guide users through setting up the various features and granting the necessary permissions to access their photos and find their friends, encouraging them to add connections and start private chats.
The combination of features seems to be working: Yope now has almost 15 million registered users, who collectively share between 10 million and 20 million pieces of content every day, including individual photos, videos or stickers. These statistics suggest regular use. Ismailu claims that more than 50% of Yope’s users open the app at least five days a week, essentially turning them into power users.
And it’s not just young people who are adding their friends. Ismailu says about 20% of active users have invited an elderly relative to join them on the app.
The practice caught the attention of investors, Ismailu says, when Northzone approached the company, not the other way around. Northzone, which has backed other consumer apps like Spotify and Klarna, led the $12.3 million round, with participation from Inovo, Redseed and Geek Ventures. The round brings the company’s total funding to $20 million. (Yope is the result of two previous pivots: TechCrunch covered an earlier version of the company. The current version has been in development for about two years.)
“Yope is a fresh, powerful and safe take on social media that puts users in full control of their experience, unlike the predatory practices of Meta, TikTok or X,” Pär-Jörgen Pärson, partner at Northzone, said in a statement. “We are very excited to be working with Bahram, Paul [Rudkouski, co-founder] and their team to expand the service beyond its current millions of users and half a billion shared moments.”
The funding will be used to further develop the product, grow the team – now about 35 people – and set up an office in the United States.
When you make a purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This does not affect our editorial independence.
