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With the world returning to a semi-sense of normalcy following the pandemic, many people are looking to reconnect and find community again. One Black-owned startup, Inpathy, is seeking to tackle this problem. Inpathy is a first-of-its-kind social networking platform designed to normalize moods and elevate communication.
Users of the platform share stories with the purpose of showing that no one is truly alone, especially with the power of social networking. The company was selected at the beginning of April to participate in Techstars Detroit program. The JP Morgan program is a hybrid experience that is open to founders of companies across all industries. Entrepreneurs who are Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous American or Pacific Islander can participate in the program and are expected to receive equitable access, funding, and support. Participants will attend live sessions in Detroit for the first two weeks of the program and it will then switch to a virtual format for 10 more weeks.
Inpathy was one of 12 startups selected to be a part of the Spring 2023 cohort. The free platform plans to revolutionize the social media industry by fostering genuine conversation and creating an open and supportive community of users. People will also have the option to subscribe to the platform which will allow for sharing of longer stories, an updated living sound library, full access to Inpathy’s ‘See Your Moods’ feature and more.
The creators of Inpathy, Ziarekenya Smith and Kathryn Smith, designed the social space with users’ privacy in mind. Every feature in Inpathy is designed to protect users’ privacy, according to the platform’s website. This is important since members are expected to use their full names as a way to promote the idea of connecting with real people who are sharing their real-life stories. Only members of Inpathy are given access to stories and the platform is Digital Rights Management (DRM) protected. Inpathy also prohibits users from screen-recording or capturing content that is posted or sent within the messaging feature.
Inpathy initially planned to launch the beta version of the social space in the Fall of 2021 and follow up with an official launch in the first quarter of 2022. Ziarekenya and Kathryn Smith are hoping that the Techstars Detroit accelerator program will give the duo an opportunity to close their pre-seed funding round. Individuals interested in using Inpathy can join the platform’s waitlist as well as make a donation on the company website.
