New Search Engine Raises $1.1M for Deep Web Exploration

Zehra Naqvi and the Genesis of Lore

Zehra Naqvi, currently 26 years old, cultivated a strong passion for online fandoms during the 2010s.

During that period, platforms like Tumblr and Twitter were central to online culture. She dedicated countless nights to meticulously tracking the release schedules of Marvel films and closely following the activities of One Direction’s members. This engagement ultimately led to a combined following of 250,000 users across both platforms.

From Fandom to Entrepreneurship

“The initial explorations within the internet’s depths revealed to me the unique satisfaction of not only experiencing culture but also actively contributing to it,” Naqvi shared with TechCrunch.

Her journey included launching a company at the age of 12, pursuing studies in art history at Columbia University, and subsequently working as a consumer investor at Headline Ventures. She also authors the widely-read consumer newsletter, The Z List.

Introducing Lore: A Search Platform for Internet Obsessions

Naqvi is now embarking on a new venture: Lore, a search platform designed for researching and discovering internet-based passions. The company has successfully secured $1.1 million in pre-seed funding and is scheduled to officially launch on October 6th.

The idea for Lore originated from a realization several months ago, after leaving her position at Headline Ventures. Reflecting on her early experiences navigating online communities, she was surprised to find that much of the research she had invested significant time in had disappeared.

“It struck me as odd that, over 17 years, I’ve likely spent over 500 hours researching Marvel movies, yet no single platform keeps track of that engagement,” she explained.

Recreating the Joy of Early Fandom

Lore aims to provide the tools she wished “had been available when fandom felt like a welcoming space, before the internet became fragmented and less enjoyable,” she stated.

The platform allows users to delve into their interests, offering access to fan theories, interpretations, contextual information, and hidden details. Naqvi explains that Lore constructs a personalized network of obsessions, delivers updates from fandoms and communities in a feed, and provides monthly reports detailing a user’s current interests.

“Users can focus on a specific theory or broaden their view to see how all their fandoms are interconnected,” Naqvi said. “It transforms knowledge acquisition into an interactive experience.”

Technology and Future Vision

Naqvi is currently withholding details about the platform’s underlying technology. She also refrained from sharing any visual representations, noting that Lore’s full launch is planned for next year. “This is our core innovation,” she explained regarding the technology powering the product.

Despite the emergence of new social media platforms, Naqvi believes that the pace of fandom engagement online has remained consistent. “If anything, fandoms are more dispersed than ever, and finding time for immersive exploration becomes more challenging as one ages,” she observed. Her experience as an investor led her to believe that there wasn’t a need for additional social tools for fans.

“There are already ample platforms for casual conversation,” she said, adding that much of contemporary social media prioritizes instant gratification, endless scrolling, and behaviors reminiscent of “iPad kid” tendencies. She envisions the next iteration of social media as being more subdued, more focused on human connection, and centered around shared passions and lasting memories.

A Modern Library of Alexandria

“Lore represents our effort to recreate the Library of Alexandria, but tailored for the age of fandom,” she declared.

Naqvi is currently operating as a solo founder and has already brought on board a marketing executive and an engineer. She described her fundraising efforts as “intense.” Village Global spearheaded the funding round, with participation from Precursor Ventures.

“Lore is developing the product that fandoms have been anticipating,” stated Charles Hudson, managing partner at Precursor Ventures, in a statement to TechCrunch. “We see it as the essential application for fandoms to connect, share, and deepen their involvement with the things they cherish.”

Looking Ahead

The newly acquired funding will be allocated to expanding the user base and continuing product testing.

“We recently concluded a trial with over 1,000 logins, generating nearly 24,000 searches and a combined total of eight days – approximately 200 hours – of immersive exploration,” she revealed. “This level of engagement is remarkable and validates the need for the platform we are building.”

Lore faces competition in the market. Naqvi acknowledges comparisons to AI-powered search engines like Perplexity, as well as platforms like Reddit and Wikipedia. “However, none of these platforms were specifically designed with fandoms in mind,” she emphasized.

“We are creating a space designed for observers first,” she continued, describing Lore as “interactive, visually engaging, and intended for playful exploration.” She hopes Lore will revitalize the joy of the internet and establish a place where passionate interests are celebrated, not stigmatized.

“Consumer AI doesn’t necessarily need to be a tool for shopping or a sophisticated assistant, or yet another social application,” she said. “There are numerous inventive and joy-focused applications for AI, and Lore is demonstrating that potential.”