Yope raises $12.3M for algorithm-free private social network

Yope is a privately held social networking app founded in London by Bahram Ismailu (CEO) and Paul Rudkouski, among other co-founders. The startup has just closed a $12.3 million（約20億円） seed round led by Northzone, with participation from Inovo, Redseed, and Geek Ventures, bringing total funding to $20 million（約32億円）. The round was initiated by Northzone, which has previously backed consumer apps including Spotify and Klarna.

The platform is built around what Yope calls "micro communities"—private groups where friends and family share photos, videos, messages, and soon games. Unlike Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, or Instagram, Yope has no algorithms, no ads, and no public content by default. All accounts are private, and the platform operates on a subscription model for premium features. The research underpinning Yope's design involved over 100,000 interviews, conducted with the aid of AI tools, into how young people worldwide use social networks. The founders discovered that around 30% of young people use private "spam" or "photo dump" accounts where they share more candid photos with small groups of real-life friends, while many others avoid public sharing entirely and rely on messaging instead. Ismailu noted in an interview with TechCrunch: "[Young people] don't have any place to self-express if they are not ready to be an influencer. Yet teens still want to do so; they just want more privacy."

On the product side, users create profiles by sharing photos that can be converted into cut-out stickers and displayed in a collage-like arrangement on their "wall." Customization will soon include interests, favorite music, mini-games, colors, and wallpapers—a design philosophy that recalls the personalized spaces users once created on MySpace. The app includes standard features such as in-app messaging, AI-generated recaps of top moments, and lock screen widgets showcasing friends' photos. A major upcoming feature is mini-games powered by AI, expected to launch in about a month. Yope also plans to leverage AI to help users meet in real life through event ticket purchasing and restaurant or bar recommendations. The current version of Yope has been in development for roughly two years; the company is the result of two prior pivots.

Yope's traction is substantial. The app now has nearly 15 million registered users who have collectively shared between 10 million and 20 million pieces of content daily. Over 50% of active users open the app at least five days per week, indicating strong engagement. Additionally, around 20% of active users have invited an older family member to join, suggesting cross-generational appeal beyond the teenage demographic. Pär-Jörgen Pärson, Partner at Northzone, said in a statement: "Yope is a fresh, empowering and safe take on social media where the users are in full control of their experience in contrast to the predatory practices of Meta, TikTok or X. We are very excited to partner with Bahram, Paul and their team to build the service far beyond the current millions of users and half a billion moments shared." The funding will support further product development, team expansion (the company currently has around 35 people), and the establishment of a U.S. office. Yope is available as a free download on iOS and Android.

Yope emerges from research into how young people actually use social media today. The founders conducted over 100,000 interviews and discovered that roughly 30% of young users maintain separate "spam" or "photo dump" accounts to share candid moments with close friends—a behavior that conventional public-facing platforms do not accommodate well. Many others avoid sharing publicly altogether, relying instead on messaging. This gap represents a significant market opportunity: a generation seeking self-expression without the pressure to become an influencer or the surveillance inherent in algorithmic feeds.

The startup's approach recalls MySpace in allowing users to customize their own digital spaces, but with a modern twist grounded in privacy and real-world connection. Rather than treating AI as a content-generation engine (a common trend in the industry), Yope positions it as a tool for improving user connections—through mini-games that deepen bonds with existing friends and features that facilitate real-life meetups. The user metrics—nearly 15 million registered accounts with significant daily engagement and a 20% cross-generational adoption rate—suggest the product has moved beyond niche appeal. Northzone's decision to approach the company, rather than vice versa, indicates investor confidence in the model's viability at scale.