NearGroup operates a chatbot that lets users read ‘stories’ of nearby people and reply to start conversations, prioritizing content over images to avoid image-driven matching. The product runs on Facebook Messenger, Kik, Viber and Android, with plans for Twitter, iPhone and Telegram. The company says it has 2 million users and 2 billion messages to date and is aiming for 100 million users within a year. NearGroup plans to bring nearby businesses onto the platform and will use new funding to expand in Asia Pacific, the US and Europe. The startup was founded a year ago by Prashant Pitti, who previously served as a director at EaseMyTrip.com. The team positions the service as a privacy-preserving alternative for markets where open dating profiles can cause social or safety issues.

Total raised

$2M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

Oct 2017