Yope Secures $12.3 Million to Expand Photo-Sharing Platform
Yope, a photo-sharing social network based in London, has successfully raised $12.3 million (£9.2 million) in a pre-Series A funding round aimed at enhancing its platform.
Founded in 2021 by CEO Bahram Ismailau and CTO Paul Rudkouski, Yope provides a refreshing, ad-free space for sharing photos and videos among close friends and family, steering clear of the traditional social media algorithms.
The app features a unique concept called “Friendspace,” allowing users to create private groups for sharing memories. Yope enhances this experience with generative AI, which automatically organizes shared content into personalized summaries and private memory collections. The platform has already attracted over 14 million users who have collectively shared more than 500 million pieces of media.
“We envision a future where social interactions are more engaging, powered by AI,” said Ismailau. He explained that their AI tools transform shared moments into fun, interactive experiences. “Just as games like Roblox and Minecraft have created vibrant social environments for millions, we aim to make in-person communication feel joyful and personal. We are actively developing this, and users can expect the first version soon.”
Yope plans to use the new funding to expand its team and boost its engineering capabilities. The investment was led by Northzone, with additional support from Inovo, Redseed, and Geek Ventures, bringing Yope’s total funding so far to $20 million (£15 million).
Pär-Jörgen Pärson, a partner at Northzone, praised Yope as a unique and safe alternative to mainstream social media platforms. “Yope puts users in charge of their experience, unlike the often exploitative practices seen with giants like Meta, TikTok, or X. We are thrilled to collaborate with Bahram, Paul, and their team to grow this service beyond its current user base and shared moments,” he added.
