Tech industry veterans Biz Stone (Twitter co-founder) and Evan Sharp (Pinterest co-founder) have raised fresh funding to develop Tangle, a new social platform designed as an antidote to what they describe as the “terrible devastation” wrought by traditional social networks. Backed with a reported $29 million in seed financing led by Spark Capital, Tangle launched in an invite-only mode in late 2025 and encourages users to share daily intentions rather than endlessly scroll algorithmic feeds. The app aims to foster real-world connections, meaningful planning, and mindful engagement with technology. Its founders argue this model could help reshape how people use social platforms and address rising concerns about mental health and addictive design in major apps. Critics remain skeptical about any single app’s ability to overcome entrenched social media problems.
Sources:
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/04/can-a-social-app-fix-the-terrible-devastation-of-social-media/
https://www.ft.com/content/6a33af09-99a3-49c2-be50-4cc47656903f
https://www.webpronews.com/tangle-app-raises-15m-to-fight-social-media-addiction-and-boost-real-connections/
Key Takeaways
- Stone and Sharp’s Tangle is positioned as a socially beneficial alternative to mainstream social media, emphasizing intentional daily goals and meaningful user interaction.
- The startup West Co has secured significant early funding ($29 million) to expand the app beyond its invite-only phase.
- Observers question whether a niche app can meaningfully counter the broader systemic harms of current social platforms.
In-Depth
In a tech landscape long dominated by giants focused on engagement metrics and advertising revenue, Tangle represents a distinctly different philosophy. Launched in late 2025 by Biz Stone and Evan Sharp—figures who helped build Twitter and Pinterest respectively—the invite-only platform seeks to redirect social networking away from passive scrolling and toward purposeful engagement. Rather than feeds optimized for maximum time on app, Tangle prompts users each morning with a simple question: “What’s your intention for today?” Tangle then encourages users to share their goals, support friends, and reflect on progress, positioning these actions as socially enriching alternatives to the dopamine loops exploited by incumbents.
This vision, articulated in early 2026 coverage, resonates with growing public and regulatory concern over social media’s impact on mental health and societal cohesion. The Financial Times notes that the founders are tackling what they’ve called the “terrible devastation of the human mind and heart” that widespread social platforms have wrought over the past decade and a half. Backed by a reported $29 million seed round led by Spark Capital, Tangle aims to expand beyond its experimental phase into a broader user base—though it remains invite-only for now.
Supporters of the approach point to widespread dissatisfaction with traditional social networks’ addictive design and their unintended consequences. A WebProNews report highlights how Tangle seeks to combat addiction and foster real connections rather than superficial metrics. Yet there are skeptics who question whether even well-intentioned alternatives can break through in a market dominated by platforms with massive user bases and sophisticated engagement mechanics. While Tangle‘s focus on intentionality and mindfulness is a notable pivot in thinking about social tech, the challenge ahead will be proving that users will adopt a platform that asks them to slow down rather than accelerate their digital lives.
As Tangle evolves, its success may hinge not just on design, but on broader shifts in how society values purposeful online interactions over algorithm-driven consumption. Its progress will be watched closely by both proponents of digital well-being and those wary of yet another startup promising to fix social media’s entrenched problems.