A photo-sharing app built by two former Instagram product engineers has banked more than $21M in Series A funding, per an SEC filing.
The paperwork, dated August 19, runs under the startup’s legal name Lone Palm Labs and shows the round closed back in December. PitchBook pegs Retro’s valuation at over $100M.
Founders Nathan Sharp and Ryan Olson designed the app as a refuge from algorithmic feeds stuffed with creator content. “The photos and videos you take will need to find a place where they can reach the intended audience,” Sharp told TechCrunch.
Since its 2023 launch as a personal photo journal, Retro has grown into a place to share weekly photos with friends, build shared albums, revisit recaps and rewind through memories. Subscriptions, not ads, pay the bills, with paid tiers unlocking video and GIF comments and unlimited history.
Appfigures counts roughly 7 million downloads since launch, with in-app spending up more than 460% in the past 180 days.
Thrive Capital, Figma chief executive Dylan Field, Scribble Ventures, Box Group, Imaginary Ventures, Coalition, Conviction, Copper and Positive Sum are among the backers.
