Howbout

High-Level Overview

Howbout is a social calendar app that simplifies planning and coordinating activities with friends, family, or groups by integrating shared calendars, event chats, polls, and availability sharing into one platform.[1][2][3] It serves individuals and small groups frustrated with fragmented planning tools like WhatsApp groups or basic calendars, solving the problem of "See you when I see you" by enabling plans that actually happen—boasting over 4 million registered users, 50 million events created, and 300k+ plans weekly as of late 2024.[2][3] With 13 employees (recently grown from 11), headquarters in London, and $13M+ in funding including an $8M Series A in 2024, Howbout shows strong growth momentum, particularly in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Australia, and Canada.[1][2][3]

Origin Story

Howbout was founded in August 2020 by university best friends Neil Tanna, Jake Jenner, and Duncan Cowan, who left stable careers—corporate law for Tanna, investment banking for Jenner, and spacecraft engineering for Cowan—to address their own struggles coordinating catch-ups as busy adults.[2][3] The company traces back to incorporation as Zync Limited in April 2019 (later Zyng Technology Limited), launching publicly amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, which ironically tested a social planning app.[3][4] Early traction came despite challenges; by pivoting from process-focused branding to emphasizing "unplanned moments from real plans," it hit 1M+ users, thousands of 5-star reviews, and VC backing from Goodwater Capital, FJ Labs, and others.[2][3]

Core Differentiators

• All-in-One Social Planning: Combines calendars, group chats per event, availability polls (like Doodle), bucket lists for future adventures, and Memories for past events—eliminating app-switching from WhatsApp or standalone calendars.[1][2][3]
• Friend-Centric Sharing: Users share full calendars or availability with friends, view events, and coordinate groups seamlessly, prioritizing casual social use over professional scheduling.[1][2]
• Engagement Hooks: Over 50M events and 300k weekly plans drive retention; largest U.S. audience with viral potential as a "social network centered on time."[2][3]
• Lean, Focused Team: 13-person operation backed by top VCs, delivering fast iteration without bloat, contrasting enterprise tools like Calendly or Motion.[1][2]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Howbout rides the post-pandemic social reconnection trend, where hybrid work and busier lives amplify demand for effortless friend coordination amid fragmented apps.[2][3] Timing aligns with maturing mobile social tools—building on location-sharing and feeds but centering time as the core content type, akin to Facebook's updates or TikTok's videos, per Goodwater Capital.[2] Favorable market forces include smartphone ubiquity, AI calendar assistants (e.g., Motion), and competition from Calendly clones, yet Howbout carves a casual niche influencing ecosystems by reducing planning friction—potentially boosting real-world interactions in a digital-first world.[1][2]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Howbout is poised to scale as the go-to social calendar, leveraging its $8M Series A for U.S. expansion and aiming to evolve into a full social platform around shared time.[2] Trends like AI-enhanced scheduling and Gen Z's group-activity focus will propel growth, with network effects from user-generated events amplifying influence.[2][3] Expect deeper integrations, international pushes, and potential acquisitions by big tech eyeing social revival—transforming "Howbout" from a planning fix into a moments multiplier, fulfilling its mission to spark millions more real-life connections.[2][3]