Social Project

About Social Project

Based in Santa Monica, United States, Social Project, formerly known as TagWorld, was established in 2005 by brothers Evan Rifkin and Ryan Rifkin. The company positioned itself in the burgeoning social networking market by providing media tools and services for community sites on the web. Its platform enabled registered users to create personalized profiles to share social content and display them to other members and visitors.

The founders, Evan and Ryan Rifkin, embarked on this venture during the early wave of social media platforms. Following their journey with Social Project, they went on to found other technology companies, including Aircam and Burstly. This background indicates a sustained interest and expertise in community-driven digital platforms. Evan Rifkin served as the Founder & CEO, while Ryan Rifkin was the Co-Founder and Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships.

Social Project's business model revolved around providing a free-to-use social networking platform, a common strategy for achieving rapid user growth in that era. The primary clients were individual web users seeking to connect and share content online. The company successfully attracted significant venture capital, securing a total of $47.5 million over two funding rounds. A notable Series A round in February 2006 raised $7.5 million, followed by a substantial $40 million Series B round in December 2006, with participation from investors including DFJ and ViacomCBS.

After several years of operation, the company was ultimately acqui-hired, with PitchBook reporting an acquisition by Groupsville on October 13, 2010. This event marked the conclusion of the company's independent operations as a venture-backed startup in the competitive social media landscape.