Retro

Retro operates a subscription-based social media platform designed for sharing photos and videos within a small circle of friends and family. The company, legally known as Lone Palm Labs, Inc., was founded in 2022 by former Instagram employees Nathan Sharp (CEO) and Ryan Olson (CTO), who previously worked together on the team that developed Instagram Stories. They created Retro to offer an alternative to mainstream social media, which they believe has shifted from facilitating personal connections to serving entertainment content driven by advertising models. Launched in 2023, the Retro app positions itself as a weekly photo journal that encourages users to share moments from their lives in a more private, intentional way. The platform is designed to be ad-free, prioritizing user experience over engagement metrics. Key features include weekly photo sharing, shared albums called "Journals," recap compilations, a "Rewind" feature for revisiting past memories, private messaging, and the ability to mail physical postcards from in-app posts. The app intentionally omits public "like" counts and visible friend lists to foster a less performative sharing environment. The company follows a freemium business model. While the core journaling function is free, Retro introduced a premium subscription in 2025, costing approximately $36 per year. This subscription unlocks features such as video posting, viewing content without a reciprocal post, and other enhancements. As of August 2026, the app had reached approximately 7.8 million global downloads and 1.7 million monthly active users. Lone Palm Labs has raised at least $21 million in a Series A funding round, with investors including Thrive Capital, Scribble Ventures, Imaginary Ventures, and Figma CEO Dylan Field, valuing the startup at over $100 million. The company is remote-first with a presence in New York and San Francisco. Keywords: photo sharing, private social network, friends and family app, subscription social media, photo journal, ad-free social, Lone Palm Labs, Nathan Sharp, Ryan Olson, weekly journal, Instagram alternative, close friends app, mobile app, iOS, Android, shared albums, private messaging, social media fatigue, digital wellness, authentic connection, mindful social media, consumer social