Investors Niko Bonatsos (Verdict Capital), Marina Girgis (Precursor Ventures), and Amy Wu Martin (Menlo Ventures) are backing social startups in the AI era.Kimberly White/Getty Images; Courtesy of Precursor Ventures; Courtesy of Menlo VenturesTop consumer VCs are betting on AI apps that make the internet more social.Vibe coding, AI dating, and IRL social platforms are attracting fresh capital.Investors said agents can reshape how consumers connect and create.Investors are hunting for social media startups that can spark new connections and nurture existing ones."Social media companies started based on connection," Shawn Carolan, a partner at Menlo Ventures, said of the previous wave of giants like Facebook and Instagram.Carolan said these companies "evolved into media companies" and abandoned that connection.That leaves an opening in the market.Venture capitalists at major firms like Menlo, Forerunner, and A16z have several investors dedicated to backing new and innovative internet startups. Other firms, like Verdict Capital and Premise, were founded by partners at firms like General Catalyst, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and NEA, who wanted to set out on their own with investment theses focused on backing consumer-facing startups building for the AI era.Niko Bonatsos, cofounder and managing director of Verdict Capital, said that AI is allowing startup founders to "reimagine entire categories" and build "so much faster."Business Insider recently highlighted 22 VC firms backing social startups in our third annual list. They've invested in startups in broader categories such as social media, AI assistants, and dating apps.So, where exactly are these top investors placing bets?Here are 5 categories investors are betting on:1. Vibe coding — but make it socialKids and teens are "vibe coding apps," Vanessa Larco, cofounder of Premise, told Business Insider.She's one of several investors closely watching how vibe coding is being adopted by younger internet users.Startups like Wabi and Sekai — which are building platforms where people can vibe code mini apps, then share and remix them — have raised millions of dollars from firms like Khosla, A16z, and Connect Ventures."People don't want to just watch anymore. They want to create," Connect Ventures' Nicole Quinn said, who invested in Sekai.Sekai lets people make mini apps by vibe coding.Screenshot/Apple App Store/SekaiGaming is another opportunity in this category, with tools like Lemonade (an AI agent for creating Roblox mini-games) and ForgeGUI (an AI-powered game design tool for developers) receiving investments from Menlo Ventures and Verdict Capital, respectively.As Menlo's Amy Wu Martin put it: When the barriers to coding go down, consumers have the realization — "I can make stuff for myself."It's shifting digital culture, too. Creators who make content about vibe coding or vibe code new apps themselves are emerging."Apps are going to be the new media," Patron's Amber Atherton said.2. New ways to find loveFor these VCs, there's love in the air.A new class of dating apps is challenging the mainstays like Tinder and Bumble. The AI dating app Overtone comes from an icon of the old guard: Hinge founder Justin McLeod. FirstMark's Rick Heitzmann contributed to the company's $18 million raise."Probably a year ago, someone would've said 'dating,' I would've been like, 'Ugh, it's a horrible category,'" Heitzmann said. "But then you meet somebody who's thought about the world completely differently, more originally, and better than you have, and it changes your mind."Many of these startups promise that AI will help ease the awkwardness of dating, either through custom matchmaking or wingman-style assistants. The AI app Sitch is backed by A16z Speedrun and Premise. Its cofounder, Chad DePue, is an investor for Uncommon Projects.There's also Known, an AI dating service with audio matchmakers, backed by Forerunner Ventures.Other apps promise users a better dating pool or matching strategy, like the Seven Seven Six-backed Left Field, which pairs based on shared interests and communities.3. Social apps that get you outside instead of onlineThere is a bounty of new social startups with the sole purpose of getting people off their screens."People are kind of feeling exhausted and maybe a little bit nervous about AI," Precursor's Marina Girgis said. "They want to put their phones down and connect with people IRL."Abstract Ventures, for instance, backed two social apps built around maps: Corner, for finding and sharing local spots, and Amo, a French app studio behind Bump, which lets you track friends.Corner is a social map for saving and sharing local spots.Corner; Apple App StoreMeanwhile, Posh, a platform for IRL events and ticketing, announced a $37 million Series B round led by FirstMark Capital in March.There are more niche apps for activities, too, like Sweatpals for fitness and wellness, and Swsh for sharing content at live events like music festivals or sporting events.
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