Peanut, the new app which allows like-minded mothers to connect, has raised a seed investment round co-led by the Female Founders Fund and Sweet Capital Investment, the founders of Candy Crush.
The London-based company also received cash from Greycroft and Sound Ventures, the venture capital firm founded by Ashton Kutcher, along with existing backers NEA, Felix and Partech. The financial details of the round were not disclosed.
Peanut uses an algorithm that helps connect women based on commonalities including location, interests, mutual friends, languages, the age and gender of their children, and their educational background, among other things.
The app uses machine learning and a smart algorithm to understand user behaviour, thus personalising the experience and creating more meaningful connections.
It was founded by Deliveroo co-founder and former CTO Greg Orlowski and Michelle Kennedy, who gained recognition in the tech industry by transforming dating platform Badoo and was integral to the launch of Bumble.
She said: “Raising this seed round represents an exciting moment for Peanut. We have established that women want to connect with like-minded women on the topic of motherhood. Women deserved a product reflective of modern motherhood, and we’re so happy that Peanut can provide that.
“Receiving backing from such stellar investors is testament to the progress Peanut has made in such a short period of time, and we’re so excited to start the next chapter of Peanut.”
Launched in February, Peanut already claims to have attracted more than 160,000 female members, generating over 17 million swipes.
The funds will be used to further grow the team, while focussing on building the community of Peanut users.
Christian Dörffer, co-founder of Sweet Capital, said: “We are thrilled about our investment in the Peanut app and to partner with Michelle Kennedy and her impressive team. Through our Candy Crush experience, we know that women love to support other women on smartphones all over the world.
“Mothers are especially helpful when it comes to supporting each other through the early childhood years and as the Peanut team rolls out its full product roadmap, we believe it could become the primary way to socialise and learn about important topics.”
Anu Duggal, partner, Female Founders Fund, added: “We are thrilled to lead the Series Seed round in Peanut having spent the last twelve months getting to know Michelle and her team. Six months post launch, Peanut has developed a strong following amongst moms globally with a vision to redefine the modern motherhood experience.”