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Hundreds of Target employees urge the company to keep ICE out of stores. Read the letter to leadership.

January 27, 2026

by cintianmenecucci with No Comment Xpandfy

Target employees are pushing the company to take a firmer stand against ICE.

In a letter emailed to management on Friday, employees called on Target to “do the right thing” and bar federal immigration authorities from its stores. The letter, viewed by Business Insider, was signed by 284 employees, many of whom said they were residents of Minnesota, where Target is headquartered.

“Target’s continued inaction in the face of the current administration puts all of us at risk of more harm in our workplaces and represents a moral failure to protect those in our community,” said the letter, which included current CEO Brian Cornell and incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke as recipients.

A day after the letter was sent, federal agents shot and killed a second Minneapolis resident, Alex Pretti, further complicating tensions between protesters and the Trump administration.

The letter also highlights the January 7 death of Renee Good after her encounter with immigration authorities in Minneapolis. No charges have been filed in connection with Good’s death, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said there is currently no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the officer fired in self-defense, while Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has called for a transparent investigation.

Target has made several public moves since the letter was sent, including joining a statement with more than 60 other Minnesota businesses calling for de-escalation. Cornell also met with local faith leaders on Thursday to discuss the situation.

On Monday, Fiddelke sent a video message to staff that did not mention Trump or ICE by name, but said “the violence and loss of life in our community is incredibly painful.”

The Minneapolis-based retailer employs roughly 7,000 corporate employees at its headquarters offices, among its 440,000 employees across the US and around the world. The company also operates roughly 50 stores in the Twin Cities market.

The letter from employees highlighted Target’s scaled-back LGBTQ+ Pride collection, its wind-down of certain DEI initiatives, and its donation to Donald Trump’s inauguration fund as examples of how the company has “abandoned its community” in recent years.

Some of the demands may be outside Target’s legal ability to fully address, such as the calls on Target to block immigration authorities from its properties.

Corporate immigration attorney John Medeiros told the AP last week that law enforcement officers are typically allowed to operate in publicly accessible areas of retail businesses, like parking lots and sales floors.

Guidance from the Minnesota Attorney General’s office says employees should not interfere with agents’ lawful activities at their places of business, but neither are workers required to answer questions or tell agents whether a certain person is on the premises.

In a memo last week, chief HR officer Melissa Kremer said Target “does not have cooperative agreements with any immigration enforcement agency.”

Read the full letter from employees here:

TO: Target Leaders

FROM: Concerned Team Members

Date: Fri, Jan 23rd, 2026

Subject: Urgent Actions to Protect our Communities from ICE

We, the undersigned, are writing this letter to express solidarity with our neighbors, guests, and team members targeted by the violence perpetrated by agencies like ICE, and demand urgent action from the Target Enterprise and its leadership.

Target’s previous acts have left many rightfully concerned for its integrity. Target abandoned its community with its scale back of its Pride collection, year after year, and its winding down of DEI initiatives across the Enterprise. Then, Target went beyond mere “business decisions” when it directly funded the current administration through its $1 million donation to Donald Trump’s inauguration officially stating “We work with elected officials at all levels of government to provide the best retail experience for the more than 2,000 communities we’re proud to serve”, despite the fact that Target has never previously donated to an inauguration. On the contrary, the current ICE invasion lays bare the contempt the current administration has for the communities Target lives in as starkly shown with the cold blooded murder of our neighbor Renee Good (in which, ICE denied her accessible, lifesaving care after she had been shot by Jonathan Ross) or Trump’s threats to invoke the insurrection act against a population of peaceful protesters.

In the face of this tyranny, continued silence from our leaders will never make us safer, as already evidenced by ICE’s kidnapping and assault of two Target Richfield employees who were both minors and citizens. Target’s continued inaction in the face of the current administration puts all of us at risk of more harm in our workplaces and represents a moral failure to protect those in our community.

Despite its previous failures, Target still has ample opportunity to do the right thing. In line with the demands of community leaders like ICE Out MN and ISAIAH, we, the undersigned, demand the following immediate actions from our leaders:

Issue a public statement from the leadership team and enterprise to call for an immediate end to the ICE “surge” into MN and for ICE to leave the state.

Exercise Target’s Fourth Amendment right to its maximum and keep ICE out of Target stores, properties, and parking lots;

Update training and policy to enable team members such as AP and Corporate Security to trespass, de-escalate, and remove any ICE agents operating illegally without a judicial warrant.

Publicly post signage denying entry into Target properties to immigration authorities.

Cut current and future funding from Target and its affiliates to the current administration and any causes that support ICE and its occupation of the Twin Cities.

Follow the recommendations of local community leaders in what Target can do to help heal the damage our previous inaction has brought, as well as future steps of what Target can do to support our communities going forward.

If Target takes these steps, it will find that it will not be in this fight alone: The city of Minneapolis already has a separation ordinance to keep ICE off of its property and prevent collaboration between MPD and ICE and has opened litigation to challenge the current admistration’s illegal use of force; Costco and other companies have set the example of how for-profit companies can stand their ground in this administration; Over a hundred faith leaders have come together and have arranged to meet with Target leaders to advocate for our neighbors (and they continue to fight, even as Target leaders fail to take their urgent concerns and reschedules their meeting); On Saturday, at least tens of thousands of residents took to the streets at Powderhorn Park and Lake Street to demand ICE out of the Twin Cities; And now, on the date that this letter is sent, residents and workers across the Twin Cities are joining in protest in solidarity with local labor unions that have organized a day of “no work, no school, no shopping” for the 23rd , where the Twin Cities community is showing its collective power to fight back effectively against the rise of authoritarianism.

Strength comes in open solidarity, and the leaders of Target still have the chance to do the right thing. The Twin Cities and Target Team Members already stand together, but leadership must act now.

Signed, 275+ Members of the Target Team

Have a tip? Contact Dominick Reuter via email at dreuter@businessinsider.com or call/text/Signal at 646.768.4750. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.

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12 books to read between episodes of ‘Bridgerton’ season 4

January 26, 2026

by cintianmenecucci with No Comment Xpandfy

Though it’s the fourth season of the Netflix series, Sophie and Benedict’s story is actually the third book in Julia Quinn’s “Bridgerton” series, and it’s definitely worth reading if you haven’t yet.

In the novel, the gentle reader finds Sophie at a crossroads. An illegitimate child, Sophie’s biological father raised her as his ward, but after he died, her stepmother forced her to become a servant for herself and her two daughters. She finally gets the chance to be a proper lady of the ton for one night when she attends the Bridgerton masquerade ball in disguise. There, she crosses paths with Benedict Bridgerton, and they share an evening that will change both of them forever.

Try as he might, Benedict can’t forget the mystery woman he met at the masquerade, who disappeared without even telling him her name. He’s been searching for her for years when he crosses paths with Sophie again — this time, when she is working as a maid — but he doesn’t recognize her.

Her familiarity nags at Benedict, but he soon finds himself drawn to the Sophie he knows now. Their relationship seems impossible because of their social standings and because of the piece of his heart that still belongs to his mysterious masquerade woman, but true love always finds a way.

A “Cinderella” retelling full of longing and forbidden love, “An Offer from a Gentleman” showcases Quinn at her finest.

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Paramount’s head of streaming product and tech is leaving the company. Read his Slack message to colleagues.

January 8, 2026

by cintianmenecucci with No Comment Xpandfy

The head of Paramount Skydance’s streaming product and tech is leaving the company, Business Insider has learned.

Vibol Hou told colleagues in the company’s streaming tech Slack channel that he’s leaving Paramount at the end of January.

“After nearly 12 years of exhilarating work pushing our businesses to new heights, it feels like the right time to hand the torch to the next wave of leaders while I take a much-needed pause to rest, focus on my health (including some serious marathon training), and spend more time with my family before I jump into whatever comes next,” Hou wrote in the Slack message, which was viewed by Business Insider.

Hou’s exit has been anticipated within Paramount for months.

In Hou’s Slack message, he referenced a previous memo from Dane Glasgow, Paramount’s chief product officer, that hinted at the move.

“Vibol has expressed interest in exploring other opportunities, and while he will remain in his role with an anticipated transition early next year, we will continue to explore new projects together,” Glasgow wrote in a mid-October email viewed by Business Insider.

Hou was at Paramount or its subsidiaries for over a decade, including six years at its free streamer, Pluto TV. In that span, Paramount went through several corporate changes, from a ViacomCBS merger to the Paramount Skydance merger that closed in the summer of 2025.

“What we’ve built together across Pluto TV, CBS All Access/Paramount+, and Network Streaming was never easy,” Hou wrote in the Slack message. “But we built these products from the ground up, in tough environments that didn’t necessarily believe in our vision, with limited resources and non-existent technology where we often had to build our own, and under constant pressure to deliver.”

Hou’s Slack message was received warmly, with 118 “care” emojis, 67 classic “red heart” emojis, and 43 “thank you” emojis, among other signals of support as of early Thursday afternoon.

Since Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison took over in early August, he’s made several noteworthy moves, like landing UFC rights in the US and hiring Bari Weiss to lead CBS News.

Ellison is now focused on buying Warner Bros. Discovery, which has rejected its takeover offer eight times.

Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read Hou’s Slack message to colleagues announcing the move:

@channel Team,

As Dane shared in his note, I’ll be transitioning out of my role and leaving the company at the end of January. After nearly 12 years of exhilarating work pushing our businesses to new heights, it feels like the right time to hand the torch to the next wave of leaders while I take a much-needed pause to rest, focus on my health (including some serious marathon training), and spend more time with my family before I jump into whatever comes next.

What we’ve built together across Pluto TV, CBS All Access/Paramount+, and Network Streaming was never easy — but we built these products from the ground up, in tough environments that didn’t necessarily believe in our vision, with limited resources and non-existent technology where we often had to build our own, and under constant pressure to deliver. Yet again and again, this team showed grit, creativity, and passion. Whether you came from Pluto or another part of Streaming, the story is the same: we took on impossible problems and innovated our way through.

The culture we live — being curious about everything, feeling that hunger to solve problems, caring deeply for others, iterating constantly, and innovating in everything we do — belongs to all of you now. You should be proud of what you’ve achieved, and you should be confident that this is a team that can handle anything thrown its way.

As to the future, I have a lot of confidence in Dane and the vision and strategic pillars he’s laid out for the year ahead. They set a strong foundation for where this organization can go over the next several years, and I’m excited to see what you all do together under his leadership.

I plan to hold my last open office hours next Friday so anyone who wants to drop in, ask questions, or just say hello/goodbye has a space to do that together. In the meantime, if you’d like to stay in touch beyond my time here, please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.

Serving alongside you has been one of the great privileges of my life, and I’ll be proudly cheering you on as you write the next chapter together.

Boldly go, always. ❤️

Vibol

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Read the letter celebrity lawyer Alex Spiro wrote to Gavin Newsom, warning that his clients will ‘permanently relocate’ if California wealth tax passes

December 29, 2025

by cintianmenecucci with No Comment Xpandfy

A proposed billionaire tax in California has the wealthy threatening to flee, according to a letter written by power lawyer Alex Spiro to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

In a December 11 letter that was obtained by Business Insider, Spiro lays out his opposition to the proposed tax on behalf of his clients, whom he calls “California residents who would be subject to the proposed Billionaire Tax Act.”

“It will trigger an exodus of capital and innovation from California,” Spiro wrote. “Our clients have made clear they will permanently relocate if subjected to this tax.”

The measure proposes that California residents with assets exceeding $1 billion be subject to a one-time 5% tax on the value of their assets. If the proposal receives enough signatures, it will appear on the state ballot in November 2026. If passed, it would apply retroactively to all California residents as of January 1, 2026.

While Newsom has said he is against the tax and would “fight” it, he would not have the ability to veto it if it were to pass as a ballot measure.

Several wealthy Californians, including venture capitalist Peter Thiel and Google cofounder Larry Page, have considered shrinking their presence in California, according to a New York Times report. Representatives for Page and Thiel did not respond to Business Insider when asked if they were represented by Spiro.

Over the weekend, billionaire Palmer Luckey took to X to voice his opposition to the measure.

“I made my money from my first company, paid hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes on it,” the Anduril cofounder wrote. “Now me and my cofounders have to somehow come up with billions of dollars in cash.”

While it’s not clear which clients the lawyer was referencing in his letter to Newsom, Spiro’s client roster in the past has included billionaires and A-listers. He has previously represented Kim Kardashian, Jay-Z, and Elon Musk.

Read the full letter below:

Re: Constitutional Concerns Regarding Proposed Billionaire Tax Act

Dear Governor Newsom:

I represent California residents who would be subject to the proposed Billionaire Tax Act if it qualifies for the November 2026 ballot. I write to urge you to work to prevent this initiative from moving forward. The Act has serious legal problems and would cause significant economic damage to California and the broader economy.

First, and most importantly, the Act would be unconstitutional. Although the Act purports to be a tax, it is in reality an uncompensated confiscation of property. The Act imposes a 5% levy on total accumulated wealth, including illiquid assets that generate no income. That is in substance a taking without just compensation. As the Supreme Court explained in Armstrong v. United States, the government cannot force “some people alone to bear public burdens which, in all fairness and justice, should be borne by the public as a whole.” 364 U.S. 40, 49 (1960). The Act concentrates an extraordinary burden on a small group to solve a general revenue problem— exactly what the Constitution prohibits.

Second, for the people who relocate from California in 2026 before the November election, the Act would tax them after they have become citizens of other States and without any ability to vote on the measure. The Supreme Court has held that retroactive taxation cannot be “harsh and oppressive.” United States v. Carlton, 512 U.S. 26, 30 (1994). A 5% levy on total net worth imposed on former residents who departed before the law was even enacted clearly meets that definition.

Third, the Act’s unprecedented novelty makes it especially vulnerable to a legal challenge. California has never imposed a wealth tax, much less one that reaches former residents and that is targeted at a small group of citizens. The Supreme Court closely scrutinizes unprecedented exercises of government power precisely because they lack historical precedent. See Biden v. Nebraska, 600 U.S. 477, 505 (2023). In fact, it has not hesitated to invalidate the retroactive application of new taxes, even for far less extreme measures. See Blodgett v. Holden, 275 U.S. 142 (1927). There can be no doubt that the current Supreme Court would carefully evaluate a law so out of step with the American legal tradition.

From an economic perspective, the Act creates two serious problems. First, it will trigger an exodus of capital and innovation from California. Our clients have made clear they will permanently relocate if subjected to this tax. They are not alone. See California’s wealth-tax test: Have voters finally found a policy that the state’s inherent economic strengths can’t overcome?, Wash. Post (Nov. 17, 2025) (opinion) (describing the tax as “almost tailor-made to drive most Silicon Valley tech companies to Austin, Texas”). In other words, by passing this proposal California would exchange a one-time windfall for the permanent loss of billions in annual income taxes, capital gains taxes, property taxes, and economic activity. The state’s most economically productive residents would take their businesses, jobs, and charitable giving with them. Second, the Act will force destructive asset sales. Our clients hold equity stakes in operating businesses, venture capital funds, and real estate. Paying a 5% wealth tax would require massive forced liquidations, depressing asset values and triggering market instability that would harm ordinary investors whose retirement accounts hold these same investments.

Our clients are prepared to mount a vigorous constitutional challenge if this measure advances. Litigation would be protracted and expensive, and it would generate sustained negative attention to California’s business climate. The prudent course is to prevent this constitutionally defective measure from reaching the ballot. We respectfully ask that you discourage signature gathering, oppose qualification, and if necessary, campaign against passage.

Our clients prefer to remain in California and continue contributing to the state’s economy and civic life. But they will not remain if subjected to an unconstitutional confiscation of their wealth. We hope this can be resolved through political channels rather than through years of contentious litigation.

Respectfully,

Alex Spiro

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Read 46 pitch decks that creator-economy startups used to raise millions of dollars

December 25, 2025

by cintianmenecucci with No Comment Xpandfy

The creator economy has bred a generation of startups — from influencer-marketing companies to new social-media experiences.

These startups have captured the attention and wallets of influential venture capitalists and angel investors over the last several years, giving rise to several unicorn valuations in the space.

Check out 16 VC firms investing in creator economy startups

Even as the economy has weathered changing tides and investments have cooled across industries, some startups in this sector are still raising money.

In 2024, three trends drove some of the largest deals in the creator economy: AI, social commerce, and newsletters. Several startups raised at least $10 million in new funding last year, such as AI startup Captions or newsletter platform Beehiiv.

Here are 17 creator-economy startups that raised more than $10 million in 2024

AI is continuing to fuel investor interest in the creator economy in 2025, too. For instance, Hedra, a generative AI startup used by some creators to make viral content, announced a $32 million Series A led by A16z in May.

Creators themselves, like Emma Chamberlain and MrBeast, are also raising venture capital for their businesses.

See the leaked pitch deck Chamberlain Coffee used

So, how do creator-economy startups land those investments? Often, it starts with a pitch deck.

Lumanu, a creator-focused financial startup, uses a simple pitch deck that’s more of a “conversation guider,” its cofounder and CEO, Tony Tran, told Business Insider.

“My pitch is always why, what, how, and why now?” Tran said. (Read the full pitch deck here.)

Skye, a career-coaching startup, had different pitch decks depending on the type of investor or fund they pitched to.

“I had two different versions, depending on the fund,” said Jessica Wolf, Skye’s CEO and one of its cofounders. “If I knew a fund was more into pre-seed, all about the founder, I had one deck. But if I knew that they were a numbers person, I would use another one.”

Every startup has a different approach.

Some, such as Throne, even ditch the pitch deck altogether and opt for an email or Notion document.

Read the email template creator-economy startup Throne used to secure its seed investment.

We talked with founders who’ve pitched their startups to investors about their process. They broke down the pitch decks they used to secure millions of dollars in funding.

Read the pitch decks that helped 46 creator-focused startups fundraise millions of dollars:

Note: Pitch decks are sorted by investment stage and size of round.

Series A

Restream, a livestreaming alternative to platforms like the Amazon-owned Twitch: $50 million Series A (14 pages)
Hedra, a generative AI video platform: $32 million Series A (9 pages)
Dub, a fintech startup that lets people copy influencers’ stock trades: $30 million Series A (15 pages)
ShopMy, an affiliate platform that lets creators earn commissions through shoppable landing pages: $26.5 million Series A (23 pages)
Posh, an IRL events startup: $22 million Series A (12 pages)
Pearpop, a creator-marketing platform: $18 million Series A (18 pages)
Spoon Radio, a social-audio startup: $17 million Series A (15 pages)
Kyra, a content studio, talent-management firm, and influencer-marketing platform: $15 million Series A (20 pages)
Allstar, a startup helping gamers become social-media creators: $12 million Series A (6 pages)
Lumanu, a business-solutions platform for creators: $12 million Series A (8 pages)
Hype, a platform for link-in-bio and other creator-monetization tools: $10 million Series A (13 pages)
Catch+Release, a startup that helps creators and everyday social-media users license their content to brands: $8.8 million Series A (12 pages)
Slip.stream, a music startup focused on gamers: $7.5 million Series A (13 pages)
Brag House, an esports startup: $5 million Series A (24 pages)
CreatorDB, an influencer marketing company: $4.7 million Series A (13 pages)

Seed

Linguana, an AI video translation startup that is targeting YouTubers: $8.5 million (13 pages)
AvatarOS, a startup building virtual avatars for social media, gaming, and other immersive experiences: $7 million (11 pages)
Hypernatural, a generative AI startup that wants to be the Canva for video: $6.8 million (14 pages)
Scenario, a generative AI startup to create gaming art and assets: $6 million seed (8 pages)
Sesh, a music startup that connects artists and fans using their mobile wallets: $5 million seed (13 pages)
Authoritive, an online course-development startup: $5 million seed (11 pages)
Dstlry, a comic-book creator startup: $5 million seed (26 pages)
Dharma, a travel startup for creators and brands: $4.7 million pre-Series A (17 pages)
Glystn, an AI-powered community-management platform: $4 million seed (15 pages)
Daisy, an influencer marketing startup that launched in 2024: $3.9 million (9 pages)
Anima, an augmented-reality startup: $3 million (15 pages)
Grandstand, a sports startup working with athlete creators: $2.75 million
Seam Social, a new Web3 social-media platform: $2.5 million (10 pages)
Spark, a digital art platform from the YouTuber Moriah Elizabeth: $2.5 million seed (9 pages)
Insense, a startup helping e-commerce brands get low-cost ads: $2.5 million pre-Series A (9 pages)
Supercast, a podcast subscriptions startup: $2 million seed (20 pages)
Chartmetric, a music-data and -measurement company: $2 million seed (46 pages)
Ultimate Playlist, a music-marketing startup: $2 million round (9 pages)
Magroove, a music-distribution and -discovery platform: $1.6 million seed (21 pages)
Stagetime, a professional-networking startup for performing artists: $1.5 million seed (13 pages)
Jubilee Media, a content studio looking to expand beyond YouTube and TikTok: $1.1 million seed-plus (12 pages)

Pre-Seed

Other

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Read Bari Weiss’ new memo that defends pulling a ’60 Minutes’ segment and says Americans lack trust in the press

December 24, 2025

by cintianmenecucci with No Comment Xpandfy

2025-12-24T19:35:51.874Z

CBS News chief Bari Weiss sent a memo to staff defending her decision to hold a “60 Minutes” piece.
Weiss made the decision to pull a segment on the CECOT prison shortly before it was due to air.
She said winning back public trust in the news sometimes means holding stories.

CBS News head Bari Weiss sent a Christmas memo to staff on Wednesday defending her decision to pull a “60 Minutes” segment on the Trump administration’s use of El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison.

In the memo, signed by Weiss and other CBS News leadership, she wrote that the press needed to win back the public’s trust, and that “sometimes it means holding a piece about an important subject to make sure it is comprehensive and fair.”

“Right now, the majority of Americans say they do not trust the press,” she wrote. “It isn’t because they’re crazy.”

Weiss’ decision to hold the “60 Minutes” shortly before it aired led to blowback both inside and outside CBS News, which is owned by Paramount Skydance. Sharyn Alfonsi, who reported the segment, wrote in note to colleagues that the decision was a “political one,” multiple outlets reported.

Weiss said in her memo that she and other CBS News leaders are “not out to score points with one side of the political spectrum or to win followers on social media.”

The media world has heavily scrutinized Weiss’ management since she was installed atop CBS News by Paramount CEO David Ellison in October. Paramount also acquired The Free Press, the conservative-friendly news site Weiss founded after leaving The New York Times’ opinion section, for about $150 million.

Paramount is dueling with Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. President Donald Trump has said he would be involved in the regulatory review process.

Weiss added in the memo that CBS News would hold itself to a high standard of fairness and be independent.

Here’s the full text of the memo:

Hi all,

Right now, the majority of Americans say they do not trust the press. It isn’t because they’re crazy.

To win back their trust, we have to work hard. Sometimes that means doing more legwork. Sometimes it means telling unexpected stories. Sometimes it means training our attention on topics that have been overlooked or misconstrued. And sometimes it means holding a piece about an important subject to make sure it is comprehensive and fair.

In our upside-down moment, this may seem radical. Such editorial decisions can cause a firestorm, particularly on a slow news week. And the standards for fairness we are holding ourselves to, particularly on contentious subjects, will surely feel controversial to those used to doing things one way. But to fulfill our mission, it’s necessary.

No amount of outrage—whether from activist organizations or the White House—will derail us. We are not out to score points with one side of the political spectrum or to win followers on social media. We are out to inform the American public and to get the story right.

Restoring the integrity of the news is a difficult task. We can’t think of a more important one.

Merry Christmas—and thank you, especially, to everyone who is working over this holiday.

Yours,

Bari

Tom

Charles

Adam

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

December 24, 2025

by cintianmenecucci with No Comment Xpandfy

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.