Ikaria is building a chat app focused on reducing loneliness by enabling group chats of close friends or people facing similar life challenges, with optional guided experiences for reflection and discussion. The product emphasizes privacy, no ads, and conscious design intended to avoid exploiting users' attention. Founders Chrys Bader-Wechseler and Sean Dadashi plan to allow outside creators and mental-health practitioners to produce guided experiences that groups can participate in. The six-person Santa Monica team is running a sizable closed beta as it searches for product–market fit and aims to set an official release timeline by the end of the year. The company has raised a $1.5 million seed round and is considering monetization via subscriptions or in-app payments rather than ad-based models. Ikaria's stated ambition is to replace core chat apps for some users by increasing presence and prioritizing important relationships.

Total raised

$2M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

Feb 2020