irl Acquires Aebeze Labs: Expanding into Digital Nutrition

IRL Acquires AeBeZe Labs to Prioritize User Well-being

IRL, the social application recently achieving unicorn status and backed by SoftBank, has announced its inaugural acquisition. The company is integrating the intellectual property portfolio of AeBeZe Labs, a “digital nutrition” firm, for an undisclosed amount. This strategic move aims to cultivate a more health-conscious and ethically-grounded social networking experience.

Key Personnel Joining IRL

Founders of AeBeZe Labs, Michael Phillips Moskowitz – formerly the “Global Chief Curator” at eBay – and Brad Artizinega, a previous Product Lead at Medium, will transition to IRL. Alongside other team members, they will concentrate on refining the platform’s discovery systems and enhancing various product functionalities.

IRL's Evolution and Target Audience

Initially focused on facilitating real-world event discovery, IRL adapted to the pandemic by expanding into virtual events. The platform now supports both event types and has matured into a comprehensive social networking app. Features such as group messaging, user profiles, shared calendars, and cross-platform compatibility have contributed to this growth.

A Commitment to Non-Advertising Monetization

Prior to this acquisition, IRL established a monetization strategy that deliberately excludes advertising. The company views advertising as potentially detrimental to fostering a healthy social environment. Instead of relying on ad revenue, IRL intends to generate income by connecting users with relevant interests, such as through paid community subscriptions or event ticket sales, taking a commission on each transaction.

Leveraging AeBeZe Technology for Smarter Recommendations

IRL anticipates utilizing AeBeZe’s technology to deliver more intelligent recommendations for events and communities aligned with user preferences. Furthermore, the platform will strive for greater transparency regarding the rationale behind these recommendations. This approach differentiates IRL from existing social networks where content curation logic is often opaque.

AeBeZe Labs' Diverse IP Portfolio

AeBeZe Labs had cultivated a diverse portfolio of intellectual property, serving consumers, the U.S. military, and enterprise clients. This included consumer applications like Moodrise (a mood-tracking app), Daybreak – a mobile tool developed for the U.S. Air Force – and MoodTube, an analyzer of YouTube content. The company also holds 16 patent applications, with three already granted and thirteen pending approval, and owns the trademark “Digital Nutrition.”

Understanding "Digital Nutrition" and its Psychological Impact

A significant portion of AeBeZe’s work centered on understanding how awareness of one’s “digital nutrition” influences brain psychology. This understanding could then be applied to address and potentially prevent problematic internet usage and other risky behaviors.

A Contrast to Addictive Social Media Design

This contrasts sharply with the design principles of many contemporary social networks, which often capitalize on psychological mechanisms to foster addiction. For example, the pull-to-refresh gesture or continuous content feeds are designed to trigger dopamine release. These manipulative design tactics were highlighted in the documentary “The Social Dilemma.”

Daybreak: A Key Acquisition Target

IRL was particularly drawn to AeBeZe’s Daybreak application, a mobile calendar enabling users to track their moods over time. Users could then access curated content sessions designed to improve their emotional state through visual, auditory, or interactive experiences.

IRL's Vision for a Healthier Internet

“We are focusing on bringing intimacy to the internet, and essentially learning from our predecessors,” explains Abraham Shafi, IRL’s founder and CEO. “Currently, social media leverages understanding of dopamine and serotonin release to build habits around unhealthy activities. We’re very interested in not participating in that, but instead, helping you build healthy and meaningful habits, both with yourself and your friends.”

Integrating Daybreak Technology into IRL

Shafi indicates that IRL intends to integrate Daybreak’s technology into its platform. The goal is to eventually match users with content based on their current emotional state. Users may be prompted to report their mood upon launching the app, mirroring the functionality of Daybreak.

“It actually only truly functions with direct input – that’ll be the way that we’re doing it. So there’s a clear understanding between the user and the content that they’re receiving,” Shafi clarifies.

Rollout Timeline and Funding

The initial integrations of AeBeZe’s technology are planned for release during the first half of the coming year. AeBeZe Labs, at the time of acquisition, was just over two years old and had secured approximately $1.1 million in funding from investors.

Correction, 12/2/21, 4:30 pm et: The name was previously misspelled as AaBeZe; the correct spelling is AeBeZe.