- Many social media users look forward to making friends and spending time together in person.
- A new wave of startups is tapping into this demand with tools that help people make plans.
- The “IRL Social” trend has grown in 2024 and could continue into the new year.
It seems that making new friends is very difficult.
While dominant social networks such as Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat have declared it as such Calls Between us and our friends, many users feel less connected and more alone than ever.
A new wave of apps is trying to fill this void by replacing content algorithms with features designed to help users get together in real life. This year, many of these apps have reached new heights in popular culture and adoption.
One of the biggest stars in this space is Partiful, an events app that has replaced Facebook Events for many. Google named it “App of the Year” for 2024, and it was even used in the popular Timothée Chalamet competition.
Then there’s Timeleft, a European startup that brings groups of people together for dinner every Wednesday night in more than 60 counties. It was also recognized by Google this year as a ‘hidden gem’. Timeleft, which launched in 2020, expanded to the US in March.
“This year, we found product-market fit,” Lais de Oliveira, president of Timeleft’s North American division, told Business Insider. “We had more than 20,000 people dining with us this year in the United States, and every week we had about 6,000 people dining with us across the United States.”
IRL social startups aren’t just about getting users to download their apps. Some also attract investors.
Posh, another events app that offers a feed of nearby events, closed a $22 million Series A round this year led by Goodwater Capital. Other companies, such as FirstMark, Forerunner, and Best Nights VC, have also participated in the IRL-focused technology.
For Zahra Naqvi, an angel investor and venture capitalist focused on consumer startups, IRL was a key concept in her investment thesis this year.
“There is an overwhelming desire among people to communicate with each other,” Naqvi said.
She sees IRL social apps now split into two camps. The first is advanced event technology that makes things easier for hosts and attendees (like Partiful, Posh, or Luma), and the second is apps that foster a sense of “stranger” personal connection (like Timeleft and 222, another app that connects strangers over dinner or activities).
Some IRL apps address monetization, though others haven’t reached that stage yet. For example, Posh takes a percentage of ticket sales, and 222 has a signup form for access to organized events.
Read more about BI’s coverage of IRL social startups.
These IRL social startups have raised millions of dollars:
Meet the app founders trying to help people make friends: