Yope has raised $12.3 million to launch a social network that excludes algorithms, advertisements, and public content.
The seed round, led by Northzone, funds a platform designed around small groups where friends and family share photos, videos, and messages in private. The app aims to compete with Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram by focusing on real-world connections rather than viral content.
Algorithm-free, private social media is a familiar concept, yet few applications have scaled without adding creator content to maintain engagement. Yope intends to shift the focus toward direct communication between people who know each other offline.
Accounts are private by default. There is no algorithmic feed. The service does not rely on advertising revenue; instead, it plans a premium subscription model for power users.
Bahram Ismailau, the London-based co-founder and CEO, states the team identified an opportunity after conducting over 100,000 interviews. These discussions, aided by AI tools, examined how young people use social networks globally. The research indicated that approximately 30% of users maintain what are often called photo dump or spam accounts. These are spaces where individuals share candid photos with a smaller circle of real-life friends.
Many people avoid public sharing entirely, relying on messaging apps to stay in touch.
“[Young people] don’t have any place to self-express if they are not ready to be an influencer,” Ismailau told TechCrunch. Yet teens still wish to do so; they simply require more privacy.
“We found this big 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.”
Ismailau clarified that the team does not use AI to generate content. Instead, they view AI as a tool to improve connections. This includes developing mini-games for friends, a feature expected to launch in about a month. The team also aims to use AI to help users meet in person, such as by purchasing event tickets or locating a venue to watch a football match.
Users build their profiles by sharing photos, which can become cut-out stickers. Rather than organising images into albums, the app displays them in a collage-like, chaotic arrangement across each user’s wall. Soon, users will be able to customise their space further by adding interests, favourite music, and mini-games. They can also change the look and feel with chosen colours and wallpapers.
The concept recalls MySpace, where users once carved out their own place on the web and customised it to reflect their personalities.
The app also incorporates standard features found on existing platforms, such as in-app messaging, recaps of top moments, and lock screen widgets that showcase friends’ photos. During onboarding, the app guides users through setting up features and granting permissions to access photos and find friends. It encourages them to add connections and begin private chats.
These features appear to be working. Yope now has nearly 15 million registered users. Collectively, they share between 10 million and 20 million pieces of content daily, including individual photos, videos, or stickers. Those metrics suggest regular use. Ismailau claims more than 50% of Yope’s users open the app at least five days per week, essentially making them power users.
It is not just young people adding friends. Ismailau says around 20% of active users have invited an older family member to join.
The usage attracted investor attention, Ismailau says, as 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. Inovo, Redseed, and Geek Ventures also participated. The round brings the company’s total funding to $20 million. (Yope is the result of two prior pivots. TechCrunch covered an earlier version of the company. The current version has been in development for roughly two years.)
“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,” said Pär-Jörgen Pärson, Partner at Northzone. “We are very excited to partner with Bahram, Paul [Rudkouski, co-founder] and their team to build the service far beyond the current millions of users and half a billion moments shared.”
The funding will be used to further develop the product, grow the team — now around 35 people — and establish an office in the United States.
What it means
The new funding allows Yope to expand its engineering team and open a US office. The company plans to launch mini-games in about a month. It will also add features for customising user walls with music and interests. The service remains free for standard users but targets a subscription model for power users. The app currently has nearly 15 million registered users.
