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Startups & Venture·July 22, 2026·1 min read

Yope raises $12.3M to build a private social network without algorithms or ads

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A $12.3M seed into an ad-free, non-algorithmic social app is a bet that messaging-first, small-group networks can peel off time from the big feeds. If your product relies on paid social distribution, budget for a world where more of your users’ attention is locked inside private, non-monetized spaces.

Startups & Venture

Genius AI, formerly GlossGenius, which pivoted from a salon management platform to offer AI tools for service SMBs, raised a $44M Series D at a $1.15B valuation

A vertical SaaS player rebranding to Genius AI and raising $44M at a $1.15B valuation is a data point that AI-native workflows for service SMBs are investable, not just features. If you run vertical software, expect investor and customer pressure to turn your operational data into embedded AI copilots, not just dashboards.