Disabled and Neurodivergent Social App Spoony Raises $1m

Spoony, a social app aimed at connecting neurodivergent, chronically ill, and disabled individuals, has secured $1 million in pre-seed funding. The funding round was led by Antler, alongside NDIS provider Melba Support and Trampoline, with additional backing from former Mable COO, Piroska Bisits-Bullen.

Founded by Nicholas Carlton and Kenneth Liang, Spoony originated from the Antler accelerator program in 2024. Carlton’s personal experience with chronic illness and social isolation inspired the project, which aims to address the gaps in mainstream social media platforms by prioritizing accessibility and fostering genuine connections for vulnerable communities.

The platform launched in September 2024, attracting significant interest with 42,000 waitlisted users. Of these, 22,000 joined the beta phase, reporting an average 25% reduction in loneliness while logging in 3.5 times daily. With one in six people globally living with a disability, Spoony seeks to address a pressing need for accessible, safe online spaces.

Spoony’s mission is to create a safe space where people with disabilities and illnesses can be their authentic selves, rather than having to hide their conditions to fit in better with the larger audience. It also provides a way for people with similar conditions or issues to meet, and nesures that users have a space to talk about thier situation without feeling like they’re being brushed off or overlooked.