Can a social app fix the ‘terrible devastation’ of social media? | TechCrunch

In Brief

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and Pinterest co-founder Evan Sharp have raised new funding for their social media startup West Co.

The startup launched an invite-only version of its first app, Tangle, in November. Now the Financial Times has pieced together more details from comments made by Stone and Sharp, as well as from regulatory filings and job listings.

The company has reportedly raised $29 million, with Spark Capital leading its seed round.

Sharp — the company’s CEO — described West Co as emerging from the question, “What could I build that might help address just some of the terrible devastation of the human mind and heart that we’ve wrought the last 15 years?”

The answer, at least in its initial form, is an app that asks users, “What’s your intention for today?” Users can share their goals with friends, hopefully helping them “plan with intention, capture the reality of their days, and see the deeper threads that shape their life.”

Stone told the FT that the app could change significantly before fully launching to the public.

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