TL;DR
West Co., founded by Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and Pinterest co-founder Evan Sharp, has raised a $29 million seed round to develop a new social app called Tangle. The invite-only app prompts users to set daily intentions and share goals with friends; founders say the product aims to address harms tied to the last 15 years of social media.
What happened
West Co., a startup led by Evan Sharp with involvement from Biz Stone, has secured seed funding to develop a social app focused on intentional daily planning. According to the Financial Times, regulatory filings, job listings and comments from the founders indicate the company raised roughly $29 million in a seed round led by Spark Capital. The startup released an invite-only version of its first app, Tangle, in November. Tangle prompts users with a question about their daily intention and lets them share goals with friends, with the stated aim of helping people plan intentionally, record daily reality and observe recurring patterns in their lives. Sharp, the company’s CEO, framed the project as a response to harms produced by the last decade and a half of social media; Stone said the app’s features and design could change substantially before a public launch. The FT assembled these details from public comments and filings.
Why it matters
- High-profile founders returning to social products could steer attention and capital toward new models of online interaction.
- An intention-focused design represents a deliberate move away from attention-maximizing mechanics common to many social platforms.
- A $29 million seed check led by Spark Capital signals investor interest in alternative social app experiments.
- Early invite-only testing may influence how the product evolves prior to any broader public rollout.
Key facts
- Company: West Co., led by Evan Sharp (Pinterest co-founder) with Biz Stone (Twitter co-founder) involved.
- App: Tangle, an invite-only social app first launched in November (invite-only release).
- Product focus: Prompts users to set and share a daily intention and capture aspects of their day.
- Funding: Reportedly raised $29 million in a seed round led by Spark Capital, per Financial Times reporting.
- Sources: Reporting draws on comments from the founders, regulatory filings and job listings.
- Goal described by founders: Addressing what Sharp characterized as the negative effects of the last 15 years of social media.
- Product fluidity: Biz Stone said the app could change significantly before a public launch.
- Public details beyond invite-only release and funding are limited in the available reporting.
What to watch next
- Public launch timeline — not confirmed in the source.
- How the app’s features evolve before wider release; founders have said changes are likely.
- User adoption and feedback from the invite-only cohort — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Seed round: An early stage of venture funding intended to support product development and initial market entry.
- Invite-only: A product release model where access is restricted to users who receive invitations, often used for testing and controlled growth.
- Intention-based design: An approach that centers user goals and deliberate actions, rather than maximizing time spent or engagement metrics.
- Regulatory filing: Public documents submitted to government agencies or exchanges that can disclose company financials, ownership or fundraising.
Reader FAQ
Who is behind West Co. and Tangle?
Evan Sharp is the company’s CEO and co-founder, with Biz Stone also involved; both are known as founders of Pinterest and Twitter respectively.
How much funding did the company raise?
The Financial Times reports the startup raised about $29 million in a seed round led by Spark Capital.
What does Tangle do?
Tangle is an invite-only app that prompts users to set a daily intention and allows them to share goals with friends to capture and reflect on their days.
Is there a public launch date?
Not confirmed in the source.
Will the product remain the same at public launch?
Biz Stone said the app could change significantly before a public release.
IN BRIEF Posted: 1:39 PM PST · January 4, 2026 IMAGE CREDITS: ANDRIY ONUFRIYENKO / GETTY IMAGES Anthony Ha Can a social app fix the ‘terrible devastation’ of social media?…
Sources
- Can a social app fix the ‘terrible devastation’ of social media?
- Financial Times: Home
- Techmeme
- Tiny video call glitches damage trust and hurt chances in …
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