Founders Fund

Founders Fund, established in 2005 and headquartered in San Francisco, is a venture capital firm that invests across various stages and sectors globally. It focuses on companies developing transformative technologies, with a particular interest in science and engineering ventures. These include consumer internet, biotechnology, aerospace and transportation, energy, artificial intelligence, and health. The firm's investment size ranges from $500,000 to $300 million, providing maximum support with minimum interference to its portfolio companies. Founders Fund is known for its founder-friendly approach and has been an early backer of prominent companies like SpaceX, Palantir, Facebook, and Airbnb.

Leigh Marie Braswell

Principal

Lauren Gross

Partner and COO

Bridget Harris

Associate

Joey Krug

Partner

Sean Liu

Partner

Jeffrey Lonsdale

Managing Director, Asia

John Luttig

Principal

Amin Mirzadegan

Principal

Luke Nosek

Managing Partner

Stephen Oskoui

Venture Partner

Neil Ruthven

CFO

Eric Scott

Principal

Matias Van Thienen

Principal

Past deals in Social Network

Flock Safety

Series F in 2025
Flock Safety is a company that specializes in security solutions through the use of automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras. Its primary product, the ALPR camera system, is designed for use by neighborhoods, law enforcement agencies, and businesses to capture and analyze vehicle license plates. This technology aids in both preventing and solving crimes by providing actionable data to local authorities. Flock Safety's platform emphasizes community collaboration, integrating efforts from cities, businesses, schools, and law enforcement to enhance public safety. The company's full-service, maintenance-free technology is trusted by various communities as a means to deter crime and promote a safer environment for residents. Additionally, the system proactively alerts police when stolen vehicles enter monitored areas, enabling faster response and community involvement in crime prevention.

Cyabra

Series A in 2024
Cyabra is a developer of a social threat intelligence platform that addresses the growing challenge of disinformation in the digital landscape. By utilizing advanced artificial intelligence, Cyabra helps companies and governments identify and mitigate threats posed by fake profiles, harmful narratives, and generative AI content. The platform provides valuable insights into social media attacks, allowing clients to uncover malicious actors and bot networks while offering proactive alerts to safeguard brand reputation and public identity. Through its solutions, Cyabra enables organizations to comprehend evolving narratives, detect disinformation campaigns, and maintain trust in the online environment.

turntable.fm

Seed Round in 2023
Turntable.fm is a project of [Seth Goldstein](http://www.crunchbase.com/person/seth-goldstein) and [Billy Chasen](http://www.crunchbase.com/person/billy-chasen), the two guys who brought us [Stickybits](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/stickybits). Users in each dance room has an avatar and can chat with each other. Users can create their own playlist and get up in the DJ booth to battle it out. Turntable.fm a social music platform that encourages hanging out with people and discovering music. If a DJ is playing a song you like, you can add it to your playlist, buy it on iTunes, find it on Last.fm, or launch Spotify. In November 2013, Turntable announced they would be shutting down turntable.fm to focus on their live events platform.

Cyabra

Series A in 2021
Cyabra is a developer of a social threat intelligence platform that addresses the growing challenge of disinformation in the digital landscape. By utilizing advanced artificial intelligence, Cyabra helps companies and governments identify and mitigate threats posed by fake profiles, harmful narratives, and generative AI content. The platform provides valuable insights into social media attacks, allowing clients to uncover malicious actors and bot networks while offering proactive alerts to safeguard brand reputation and public identity. Through its solutions, Cyabra enables organizations to comprehend evolving narratives, detect disinformation campaigns, and maintain trust in the online environment.

Neta

Seed Round in 2021
Neta is a social commerce platform that brings e-commerce to the offline world. It makes use of local stores and residents to better serve high demand and deliver. Customers order groceries online through the Neta app and pick them up at their local store. The Neta app provides a catalog of items, ranging from fresh produce to pantry staples, that is linked to the personal catalogs of local retailers.

IRL

Series C in 2021
IRL is a social messaging application founded in 2019 and based in San Francisco, California. The app facilitates event discovery and planning, enabling users to manage their social calendars effectively. It allows individuals to follow friends, join interest-based groups, and engage in chats. Users can create groups centered around their interests, fostering connections with like-minded individuals and enhancing existing relationships. The platform supports event creation, allowing users to invite group members and plan activities easily. Additionally, IRL integrates local public events and enables users to follow sports teams, musicians, celebrities, and local venues, streamlining the process of sending and receiving invitations to social gatherings.

Orbiit

Seed Round in 2021
Orbiit operates a virtual networking platform that offers an AI-powered matchmaking engine designed for community managers. It facilitates 1:1 and small-group conversations among members by connecting individuals based on shared interests and challenges, catering to communities of all sizes. The platform provides various tools, including algorithmic matching, scheduling, feedback collection, and analytics, to enhance engagement and foster community growth. By enabling regular, topic-based virtual connections, Orbiit aims to strengthen relationships within communities and drive meaningful interactions among members.

Facily

Series B in 2021
Facily is a social commerce marketplace operating in Latin America, designed to cater to low-ticket items and provide competitive prices alongside efficient logistics for lower-income neighborhoods. The platform emphasizes community engagement by facilitating group buying, allowing users to purchase products collectively while enjoying interactive experiences such as games and quizzes. By harnessing local leaders and influencers, Facily enhances its appeal and promotes a sense of community among buyers. Users can also earn rewards by inviting friends, making the shopping experience not only economical but also enjoyable and socially engaging.

PortalOne

Seed Round in 2021
PortalOne AS, based in Oslo, Norway, is a pioneering hybrid games company that merges traditional gaming with interactive television to create unique entertainment experiences. Founded in 2018, the company offers a gaming platform accessible via mobile devices, hosting daily 24-hour tournaments across various game genres, including exclusive titles from Atari such as "Pong," "Breakout," and "Centipede." Players compete to ascend leaderboards for a chance to win real prizes like cash and vacations. A key feature of PortalOne's offerings is the "Arcade Show," which integrates live TV elements with gameplay, featuring celebrity guests who engage with players in real time. PortalOne aims to expand its reach beyond the US, Canada, and Norway, aspiring to create a global platform that hosts hundreds of games and diverse show formats. By blending the best aspects of gaming and television, PortalOne seeks to establish itself as the leading destination for hybrid games, akin to how Spotify and Netflix dominate their respective industries.

Push Party

Seed Round in 2020
Push Party is a new entrant to the exciting space of post-social digital campfires that rekindle a more intimate, authentic connection between users and the people they care about most.

IRL

Series B in 2020
IRL is a social messaging application founded in 2019 and based in San Francisco, California. The app facilitates event discovery and planning, enabling users to manage their social calendars effectively. It allows individuals to follow friends, join interest-based groups, and engage in chats. Users can create groups centered around their interests, fostering connections with like-minded individuals and enhancing existing relationships. The platform supports event creation, allowing users to invite group members and plan activities easily. Additionally, IRL integrates local public events and enables users to follow sports teams, musicians, celebrities, and local venues, streamlining the process of sending and receiving invitations to social gatherings.

Bunch

Seed Round in 2019
Bunch Live, Inc., established in 2017, is a technology company based in New York. It develops Bunch, a social gaming platform that facilitates multiplayer gaming over group video chat. Bunch enables users to play games with friends and allows game developers to integrate its platform for in-game social features.

Orbiit

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Orbiit operates a virtual networking platform that offers an AI-powered matchmaking engine designed for community managers. It facilitates 1:1 and small-group conversations among members by connecting individuals based on shared interests and challenges, catering to communities of all sizes. The platform provides various tools, including algorithmic matching, scheduling, feedback collection, and analytics, to enhance engagement and foster community growth. By enabling regular, topic-based virtual connections, Orbiit aims to strengthen relationships within communities and drive meaningful interactions among members.

IRL

Series A in 2019
IRL is a social messaging application founded in 2019 and based in San Francisco, California. The app facilitates event discovery and planning, enabling users to manage their social calendars effectively. It allows individuals to follow friends, join interest-based groups, and engage in chats. Users can create groups centered around their interests, fostering connections with like-minded individuals and enhancing existing relationships. The platform supports event creation, allowing users to invite group members and plan activities easily. Additionally, IRL integrates local public events and enables users to follow sports teams, musicians, celebrities, and local venues, streamlining the process of sending and receiving invitations to social gatherings.

Flo Health

Series A in 2019
Flo Health, Inc. specializes in developing a women's health application focused on menstruation cycle tracking and reproductive health. Founded in 2015 and based in Redwood City, California, the company offers Flo, an app designed to assist women at various stages of their reproductive lives, including menstruation, conception, pregnancy, early motherhood, and menopause. The Flo app provides features such as personalized health insights, curated cycle and ovulation tracking, and expert tips, all while maintaining a secure and private community for users to discuss their questions and concerns. The application is available in over 20 languages on both iOS and Android platforms, emphasizing safety and reliability as it aims to be a trusted digital resource for women’s health information.

Flock Safety

Series A in 2018
Flock Safety is a company that specializes in security solutions through the use of automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras. Its primary product, the ALPR camera system, is designed for use by neighborhoods, law enforcement agencies, and businesses to capture and analyze vehicle license plates. This technology aids in both preventing and solving crimes by providing actionable data to local authorities. Flock Safety's platform emphasizes community collaboration, integrating efforts from cities, businesses, schools, and law enforcement to enhance public safety. The company's full-service, maintenance-free technology is trusted by various communities as a means to deter crime and promote a safer environment for residents. Additionally, the system proactively alerts police when stolen vehicles enter monitored areas, enabling faster response and community involvement in crime prevention.

Bunch

Seed Round in 2018
Bunch Live, Inc., established in 2017, is a technology company based in New York. It develops Bunch, a social gaming platform that facilitates multiplayer gaming over group video chat. Bunch enables users to play games with friends and allows game developers to integrate its platform for in-game social features.

PortalOne

Seed Round in 2018
PortalOne AS, based in Oslo, Norway, is a pioneering hybrid games company that merges traditional gaming with interactive television to create unique entertainment experiences. Founded in 2018, the company offers a gaming platform accessible via mobile devices, hosting daily 24-hour tournaments across various game genres, including exclusive titles from Atari such as "Pong," "Breakout," and "Centipede." Players compete to ascend leaderboards for a chance to win real prizes like cash and vacations. A key feature of PortalOne's offerings is the "Arcade Show," which integrates live TV elements with gameplay, featuring celebrity guests who engage with players in real time. PortalOne aims to expand its reach beyond the US, Canada, and Norway, aspiring to create a global platform that hosts hundreds of games and diverse show formats. By blending the best aspects of gaming and television, PortalOne seeks to establish itself as the leading destination for hybrid games, akin to how Spotify and Netflix dominate their respective industries.

IRL

Seed Round in 2018
IRL is a social messaging application founded in 2019 and based in San Francisco, California. The app facilitates event discovery and planning, enabling users to manage their social calendars effectively. It allows individuals to follow friends, join interest-based groups, and engage in chats. Users can create groups centered around their interests, fostering connections with like-minded individuals and enhancing existing relationships. The platform supports event creation, allowing users to invite group members and plan activities easily. Additionally, IRL integrates local public events and enables users to follow sports teams, musicians, celebrities, and local venues, streamlining the process of sending and receiving invitations to social gatherings.

Wuu

Seed Round in 2016
Wuu is a social networking platform that offers a private messaging app designed for sharing personal moments securely. The app operates on an invitation-only basis, ensuring a controlled environment for users. It distinguishes itself by being ad-free and by not collecting or selling user data, which allows individuals to share experiences with friends without the distractions of likes, followers, or temporary content. Wuu focuses on creating a safe space for communication, free from the influence of advertisers and data mining practices.

Earn.com

Series B in 2015
We're building a token-based social network, where senders pay users in digital currency to complete tasks and reply to emails. If we're successful, it will be one of the first major applications of digital currency for the regular user.

Glow

Series B in 2014
Glow, Inc. is a technology company that develops mobile applications and online communities focused on women's health, particularly in areas concerning menstruation, fertility, pregnancy, and menopause. Founded in 2013 and based in San Francisco, Glow offers several applications, including Ruby By Glow, which assists with period and ovulation tracking, and Glow Nurture, designed for pregnancy tracking. The platform provides valuable insights, articles, and tips to support women throughout their reproductive journeys, whether they are trying to conceive, avoiding pregnancy, or coping with miscarriage. Additionally, Glow First is a community program aimed at making infertility treatment more accessible by allowing couples to pool resources and offering financial assistance to those who do not achieve pregnancy through accredited clinics.

Hinge

Convertible Note in 2014
Hinge, Inc. is a social discovery network that operates a mobile application designed to help users meet new people within their social circles. Founded in 2011 and based in New York City, Hinge offers an alternative to traditional dating app swipe culture by facilitating meaningful connections through smart matches and promoting natural conversations. Users can browse profiles that are validated through Facebook, allowing them to view photos, full names, and shared interests, as well as mutual friends. As of 2018, Hinge operates as a subsidiary of Match Group, Inc.

Glow

Series A in 2013
Glow, Inc. is a technology company that develops mobile applications and online communities focused on women's health, particularly in areas concerning menstruation, fertility, pregnancy, and menopause. Founded in 2013 and based in San Francisco, Glow offers several applications, including Ruby By Glow, which assists with period and ovulation tracking, and Glow Nurture, designed for pregnancy tracking. The platform provides valuable insights, articles, and tips to support women throughout their reproductive journeys, whether they are trying to conceive, avoiding pregnancy, or coping with miscarriage. Additionally, Glow First is a community program aimed at making infertility treatment more accessible by allowing couples to pool resources and offering financial assistance to those who do not achieve pregnancy through accredited clinics.

Yammer

Series E in 2012
Yammer, established in 2008, is a business specializing in enterprise social networking. It facilitates real-time collaboration among employees across different departments, locations, and applications. Key features include creating groups for project collaboration, sharing and editing documents, and accessing the platform via web, desktop, and mobile devices. Yammer can also integrate with other systems like Microsoft SharePoint. With over 7 million users, including 85% of Fortune 500 companies, Yammer was acquired by Microsoft in 2012.

Lore

Series B in 2012
Lore is a Generative AI media and consulting company recognized for its weekly newsletter focused on artificial intelligence, which is read by prominent investors, entrepreneurs, and executives. Established as a cloud-hosted platform, Lore provides instructors with tools to manage courses and engage students effectively. Its services include features for grade management, file organization, communication, and calendaring, complemented by social networking capabilities that facilitate student interaction. Lore was acquired in 2019 by Nathan Lands from Noodle.com, which had previously acquired it from Coursekit.

Azumio

Series A in 2011
Azumio Inc. is a Palo Alto, California-based developer of health and fitness mobile applications aimed at improving overall human health. Founded in 2011, the company offers a range of applications, including Instant Heart Rate, Fitness Buddy, and the Argus platform. Argus serves as a comprehensive lifestyle service that facilitates activity and diet tracking while fostering a social network centered on health and fitness. The platform integrates various applications, such as Sleep Time and Glucose Buddy, and also connects with third-party wearable devices. Azumio leverages advanced technologies, including AI and deep learning, to enhance food recognition and provide users with valuable insights into their health and wellbeing.

Lascaux

Grant in 2011
Lascaux Co. is dedicated to revitalizing the enjoyment of art for a broad audience through its innovative social networking applications designed for mobile devices. By leveraging technology, Lascaux aims to foster a community where art appreciation is accessible and engaging, making it a central part of everyday life for users.

Yammer

Series C in 2010
Yammer, established in 2008, is a business specializing in enterprise social networking. It facilitates real-time collaboration among employees across different departments, locations, and applications. Key features include creating groups for project collaboration, sharing and editing documents, and accessing the platform via web, desktop, and mobile devices. Yammer can also integrate with other systems like Microsoft SharePoint. With over 7 million users, including 85% of Fortune 500 companies, Yammer was acquired by Microsoft in 2012.

Causes

Series C in 2010
Causes is the world's largest online campaigning platform, founded in May 2007 by Sean Parker and Joe Green. The platform connects individuals who share common interests and empowers them to take collective action on various causes, including charities, political movements, and social issues. Through its services, Causes has facilitated the raising of over $48 million for charitable organizations and garnered 34 million signatures for grassroots initiatives, impacting more than 186 million people across 156 countries. The platform simplifies the process of engaging with lawmakers, allowing users to express their opinions on legislation and mobilize support through various means, including protests and awareness campaigns. Managed by Philotic, Inc., with President Matt Mahan overseeing daily operations, Causes aims to foster community engagement and facilitate informed activism on issues of national, local, and personal significance.

Votizen

Venture Round in 2010
Votizen is a consumer technology company that harnesses social networks to create a connected electorate of voters. Votizen provides a new way to focus, measure, and exercise political influence by bringing voters together. As opposed to existing tools that help elected officials campaign, Votizen empowers its users to leverage their own networks to self-organize in voting blocks and advance their causes and interests, redefining the political system with the voter at the center -- not the politician. The company has engineered an entirely new database of voting record rolls across the United States, taking public voting information and normalizing that data to the district level. Then, by mapping those rolls to a user's online identity (through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google+), Votizen is able to create the first graphical representation of a voter's network, across states, political parties, and frequency of voting. Votizen was cofounded by David Binetti, Jason Putorti, and Matt Snider. The company is nonpartisan, for-profit, venture-backed, and based in Mountain View, CA: www.votizen.com

Sofa Labs

Series A in 2009
Sofa Labs, Inc. is a developer of social web platforms based in San Mateo, California, founded in 2009. The company is best known for its application, Thread, which is a social platform that allows users to connect with new friends through their existing social networks, specifically leveraging Facebook Connect. In addition to its focus on social networking, Sofa Labs has gained recognition in the tech industry, notably winning the fbFund REV in 2009.

Geni

Series C in 2009
Geni is an online platform that connects casual and expert genealogists to collaboratively build a comprehensive World Family Tree. It allows users to create and expand family trees by adding unlimited individuals, documents, photos, and videos, thereby preserving family history. Members can invite relatives to participate, fostering a sense of community and connection with both their own history and over 55 million other members and their ancestors. Additionally, Geni offers features for sharing family photos and videos, as well as celebrating important milestones such as birthdays and anniversaries, while enabling users to create profiles for children.

Yammer

Series A in 2009
Yammer, established in 2008, is a business specializing in enterprise social networking. It facilitates real-time collaboration among employees across different departments, locations, and applications. Key features include creating groups for project collaboration, sharing and editing documents, and accessing the platform via web, desktop, and mobile devices. Yammer can also integrate with other systems like Microsoft SharePoint. With over 7 million users, including 85% of Fortune 500 companies, Yammer was acquired by Microsoft in 2012.

Zivity

Series A in 2008
Zivity is a San Francisco-based startup that launched in 2007 as a premium subscription and fan interaction platform focused on adult-themed social networking. It specializes in pinup photography and provides a space for artists to showcase their work through crowdsourced curation and editorial moderation. The platform allows fans to engage with their favorite artists through microdonations and monthly subscriptions, fostering a community where users can support and interact with models and contestants. Zivity emphasizes the celebration of unique beauty while enabling fans to vote for and connect with artists, enhancing their overall experience.

Causes

Series B in 2008
Causes is the world's largest online campaigning platform, founded in May 2007 by Sean Parker and Joe Green. The platform connects individuals who share common interests and empowers them to take collective action on various causes, including charities, political movements, and social issues. Through its services, Causes has facilitated the raising of over $48 million for charitable organizations and garnered 34 million signatures for grassroots initiatives, impacting more than 186 million people across 156 countries. The platform simplifies the process of engaging with lawmakers, allowing users to express their opinions on legislation and mobilize support through various means, including protests and awareness campaigns. Managed by Philotic, Inc., with President Matt Mahan overseeing daily operations, Causes aims to foster community engagement and facilitate informed activism on issues of national, local, and personal significance.

Zynga

Series A in 2008
Zynga Inc., established in 2007, is a leading global developer, publisher, and operator of social games. The company's portfolio spans over 6 billion downloads across 175 countries, featuring popular franchises like FarmVille, Words With Friends, and Zynga Poker. Zynga's games are played on mobile platforms (iOS, Android) and social networking sites, with revenue generated through game downloads, in-game purchases, and advertising services. The company's headquarters are in San Francisco, California, with additional locations in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Mogad

Series A in 2007
Mogad, Inc. is a San Francisco-based company that specializes in information sharing and privacy control. The company offers a product called Social.im, which is a desktop instant messaging client designed for Facebook users. This application automatically integrates users' Facebook friends, facilitating easy communication. In addition to instant messaging, Social.im provides users with updates on their Facebook activity, including new wall posts and messages. Currently, Social.im is available exclusively for Windows, with plans to release a Mac version in the near future.

FlickIM

Series A in 2007
FlickIM is a chat program designed specifically for the iPhone. The application is made entirely in javascript; however, you cannot access the service if you are not on the iPhone. The product currently only supports AIM. FlickIM is a product of NextThree, which is currently in stealth mode. NextThree is currently based in Berkeley.

Geni

Series A in 2007
Geni is an online platform that connects casual and expert genealogists to collaboratively build a comprehensive World Family Tree. It allows users to create and expand family trees by adding unlimited individuals, documents, photos, and videos, thereby preserving family history. Members can invite relatives to participate, fostering a sense of community and connection with both their own history and over 55 million other members and their ancestors. Additionally, Geni offers features for sharing family photos and videos, as well as celebrating important milestones such as birthdays and anniversaries, while enabling users to create profiles for children.

Causes

Series A in 2007
Causes is the world's largest online campaigning platform, founded in May 2007 by Sean Parker and Joe Green. The platform connects individuals who share common interests and empowers them to take collective action on various causes, including charities, political movements, and social issues. Through its services, Causes has facilitated the raising of over $48 million for charitable organizations and garnered 34 million signatures for grassroots initiatives, impacting more than 186 million people across 156 countries. The platform simplifies the process of engaging with lawmakers, allowing users to express their opinions on legislation and mobilize support through various means, including protests and awareness campaigns. Managed by Philotic, Inc., with President Matt Mahan overseeing daily operations, Causes aims to foster community engagement and facilitate informed activism on issues of national, local, and personal significance.

Slide

Series C in 2006
Slide, founded by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, makes widgets that help people express themselves. The company took a big risk in 2006 when they gave users the ability to auto-insert slide shows into their MySpace pages and blasting bulletins out to all their friends. They did this by asking users to hand over their MySpace credentials, and doing all the hard work for them. This is a clear violation of MySpace's terms of service, though, and most people expected Slide to receive a cease and desist letter and/or get access turned off. But that never happened, and Slide's big bet has paid off. Slide has since evolved to offer a number of widgets. Users create and personalize widgets on Slide.com and can then use them on social networks, blogs and desktops. According to comScore Slide has more than 117 million unique monthly viewers. Slide also claims more than 200,000 new Slide Shows are added to the Slide Network each day.

Slide

Series B in 2005
Slide, founded by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, makes widgets that help people express themselves. The company took a big risk in 2006 when they gave users the ability to auto-insert slide shows into their MySpace pages and blasting bulletins out to all their friends. They did this by asking users to hand over their MySpace credentials, and doing all the hard work for them. This is a clear violation of MySpace's terms of service, though, and most people expected Slide to receive a cease and desist letter and/or get access turned off. But that never happened, and Slide's big bet has paid off. Slide has since evolved to offer a number of widgets. Users create and personalize widgets on Slide.com and can then use them on social networks, blogs and desktops. According to comScore Slide has more than 117 million unique monthly viewers. Slide also claims more than 200,000 new Slide Shows are added to the Slide Network each day.
Spot something off? Help us improve by flagging any incorrect or outdated information. Just email us at support@teaserclub.com. Your feedback is most welcome.