The In Real Life (IRL) social startup, 222, has shifted its base from Los Angeles to New York City as it prepares to roll out an application and announces that it has raised a $2.5 million seed fund. The startup company is known for curating in-person events which aim to encourage strangers to meet in real life, based on their compatibility assessed via detailed questionnaires.
The company was initiated by three friends – Keyan Kazemian, Danial Hashemi, and Arman Roshannai. The startup founders developed 222 to facilitate opportunities for “chance encounters” and bring back the charm of backyard socials through their curated events and experiences.
Unlike conventional dating apps or friend-making services, the 222 team identifies itself as a “social consumer marketplace”. Its unique system works by first having people complete a comprehensive questionnaire touching on basic demographics as well as personal beliefs. Based on responses, groups of individuals are matched using machine learning techniques, and a meetup event involving food, drinks, and range of activities is organised.
Attendees are levied a one-time curation fee of roughly $17, or they can subscribe monthly for $22. Following the event, feedback is collected to refine and improve the social prediction model over time.
The startup recently finished its stint at Y Combinator and announced that its seed investment of $2.5 million included participation from major players such as 1517 Fund, General Catalyst, Best Nights VC, Scrum Ventures, Upfront Ventures, and Dropbox founder Arash Ferdowsi, among others. With this latest funding, the total investment for 222 now stands at $3.6 million.
Besides financial developments, the five-member team of 222 moved to New York in January to expand their reach and community and is looking forward to launching an iOS app on February 6.
Initially, the startup founders confess, they faced challenges in gathering funding for their IRL-centric vision amid a tech environment focused on AI and digital assets. However, they soon learned to approach investors who understood and supported their concept of facilitating in-person experiences. The team believes in the value of IRL experiences, citing various studies and reports highlighting the rising loneliness epidemic and the physical and mental health impacts it carries.
Source: 222 Startup Wants to Bring Social Back to Real Life, Launches App }}.
