Yope secures $12.3 million seed round to expand algorithm-free social network
The private social platform, which boasts nearly 15 million users and eschews advertising for a subscription model, raises total capital to $20 million.
Yope, a London-based social networking startup, has secured $12.3 million in seed funding led by Northzone. The investment brings the company’s total raised capital to $20 million and will be used to expand its workforce of approximately 35 people and establish a new office in the United States. The round also saw participation from previous investors Inovo, Redseed, and Geek Ventures.
The platform differentiates itself from major competitors such as Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram by operating without algorithmic feeds or advertisements. Instead, Yope focuses on private micro-communities and utilises a premium subscription model for power users. The app features a collage-like interface for photo sharing, allowing users to customise their profiles with stickers, music, and wallpapers, a design choice reminiscent of early social networks like MySpace.
Yope currently reports nearly 15 million registered users who share between 10 million and 20 million pieces of content daily. Co-founder and CEO Bahram Ismailau states that more than 50% of users open the app at least five days per week. Additionally, approximately 20% of active users have invited older family members to join the platform, indicating a cross-generational appeal beyond its initial youth-focused target demographic.
The company’s development followed two prior pivots, with the current iteration in development for roughly two years. Ismailau noted that the team conducted over 100,000 interviews, aided by AI tools, to understand young people’s social media habits. They identified a trend toward private photo sharing and a desire for self-expression without the pressure of public influencer culture.
Northzone approached Yope directly for the investment, citing the platform’s user engagement and safety-focused approach. Pär-Jörgen Pärson, a partner at Northzone, described Yope as a fresh alternative to the predatory practices of larger tech firms. The firm has previously backed consumer apps such as Spotify and Klarna.
Looking ahead, Yope plans to launch AI-powered mini-games for friends within the next month. The company continues to leverage artificial intelligence not for content creation, but to facilitate real-world connections, such as helping users find venues or events to attend together. The app remains available as a free download on iOS and Android.
