Status AI raises $17M for gamified social media network

Status AI announced Tuesday that it raised $17 million in combined seed and Series A funding. Investors in the round include Abstract, General Catalyst, Union Square Ventures, Y Combinator, and LightShed Partners. The company noted that the article was updated to add Union Square Ventures as an investor. Fai Nur founded the company with Amit Bhatnagar and Pritesh Kadiwala after seeing potential in ChatGPT following its 2022 launch. Nur described herself as a chronically online teenager obsessed with music groups, TV shows, and movies. The three built Status AI as a gamified social media app where users can play any character in any universe. The app came out of stealth last year. Users first craft a persona and are transported into a social world built around them. Worlds on the app are user-generated, with settings, stories, and characters coming from player interaction. Users pick one character as a first follower and earn more as the story progresses. The app supports both multiplayer and single-player modes. Nur said users can become a celebrity with millions of followers, step inside their favorite show or book, run for president, or go viral on the internet. The company is fielding interest from studios and streamers. Nur said the capital will help scale the platform. Status has seen more than 13 million worlds created and more than 5 million character profiles. Nur said early users were predominantly young women.