London-based Howbout, a social scheduling app, has secured $8M (approximately €7.19M) in a Series A round of funding led by Goodwater Capital with participation from FJ Labs, Sequel, and England and Manchester United footballer Harry Maguire.
Existing investors Boost Capital Partners and Angel Invest also contributed to the round. Other previous investors include Supernode Global, ACF, and members of the Sidemen.
The funds will allow Howbout to accelerate its growth by expanding its marketing, design, engineering, and business teams while enhancing the platform and offering additional features for its user base.
Currently operating with a team of 13, the startup also plans to further grow its team and strengthen its presence in the US, its largest market.
Howbout’s vision and growth
Howbout’s mission is to redefine Gen Z’s relationship with time by creating a platform where friends can authentically share how they spend their time.
Founded in 2020 by university friends Neil Tanna, Jake Jenner and Duncan Cowan, who left their careers to build the app, Howbout addresses the challenge of maintaining real-world friendships.
It claims to offer a more genuine way for friends to connect by sharing calendars and making plans together.
Co-founder Tanna says, “We’ve created a new social network built around time. Social media has changed. It’s no longer about connecting users with their friends. It’s about followers, fans & filters – it’s about content, not connection.”
“Gen Z wants to feel more connected. It’s why ‘Close Friend’ filters exist on socials. It’s why sharing live locations 24/7 is all the rage right now.”
“Friendships are now tiered, and the ultimate friendship badge of honour is being included in these more intimate content circles. Sharing your time is the next stage of connection. Whether it’s spending the weekend out-out or in on the sofa, our users love that their closest friends can see it all,” adds Tanna.
Howbout’s app now boasts 4 million users across 150+ countries and has added over 50+ million events to calendars.
Chi-Hua Chien joins the board!
As part of the Series A round, Chi-Hua Chien, Managing Partner at Goodwater and an early backer of Facebook, Spotify, and Monzo, will join the Howbout Board.
Chien’s expertise will guide the next phase of the company’s growth, as Howbout seeks to expand its team and further enhance its platform for users worldwide.
Chien says, “We truly believe that time will be the next front of social. Howbout has captured a generation that are craving more authentic ways to connect, especially as other platforms continue to move towards entertainment and content and away from friend-centric connection.”
“We believe that Howbout has the potential to be the most impactful social network in the world, where friends go to deeply connect through sharing time. The calendar hasn’t been disrupted outside of the workplace and personal productivity, and Howbout has the potential to be the go-to calendar for an entire generation.”
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