HAGS is a technology company.
HAGS has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round.
HAGS has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
HAGS is a technology startup building creative digital experiences for Gen-Z high school students, primarily through Snapchat-integrated apps. Its flagship product, HAGS: Yearbook Signatures, allowed tens of thousands of students to sign friends' yearbooks digitally during remote learning periods.[3][4][6] The platform serves U.S. high schoolers by solving social connection gaps in hybrid or virtual school environments, with early traction including over 200 school ambassadors and beta launches in California high schools.[4][6] Backed by $1M in seed funding, HAGS shows growth momentum through rapid user adoption and plans for expanded features like virtual classrooms.[3][4]
HAGS emerged in 2020 amid COVID-19 disruptions to in-person high school experiences. Founders Suraya Shivji (CEO, 23, with design experience at Apple, Spotify, and Figma), her brother Jameel Shivji (18), and James Dale (CTO, 19, also ex-Figma) created the initial Yearbook Signatures product to enable Snapchat-based yearbook signing when physical interactions halted.[4][6] The idea gained quick traction with "tens of thousands" of users, catching investor attention via Twitter and leading to a $1M seed round led by GV (Google Ventures), with BoxGroup and angels participating.[3][4][6] Headquartered remotely in New York City, the team leveraged their youth and Gen-Z insights for early experimentation.[4][6]
(Note: Search results also reference a Swedish playground manufacturer "HAGS" founded in 1948, but context confirms this query targets the NYC tech startup.[1][2][5])
HAGS rides the Gen-Z social networking resurgence, targeting high schoolers underserved by apps like Instagram or Snapchat that prioritize broader audiences over school-specific intimacy.[6] Timing aligns with post-COVID hybrid education, where reduced in-person time amplified demand for virtual peer connections—its Yearbook product directly addressed 2020 remote learning isolation.[4][6] Market forces like teen social media fatigue and rising VC interest in youth-led startups (e.g., GV's early bet) favor HAGS, positioning it to influence the "school-centric social" niche amid Snapchat's dominance in teen messaging.[3][4][6] By experimenting with AR-like experiences, it contributes to ecosystem shifts toward authentic, context-bound digital communities.
HAGS is poised to expand beyond yearbooks into full virtual school hubs, leveraging its seed capital for nationwide rollouts and new features like interactive digital classrooms.[4] Trends like AI-enhanced social tools and persistent hybrid schooling will shape its path, potentially scaling to millions if it nails retention among fickle Gen-Z users. Its influence may evolve from niche experiment to a Snapchat rival in education social, especially if it captures loyalty early—watch for user growth metrics and follow-on funding to gauge breakout potential, building on its founder-driven, fun-first origins.
HAGS has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
HAGS's investors include Type Capital, Moshe Lifschitz.
HAGS has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $1.0M Seed in September 2020.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2020 | $1.0M Seed | Type Capital, Moshe Lifschitz |