Can Partiful Keep The Party Going?

One 100 dollars will bargain you 8 pounds of glitter; 10 Domino’s pizzas; 406 miniature disco balls from Temu; aliases 100 cans of Coors Light. For a friend’s day statement 1 year, Ayla D’Silva spent $100 connected sour candy and made a “sour candy salad.” Even sweeter was that she didn’t person to ft nan measure — nan money came from Partiful.

As a assemblage ambassador for nan startup, D’Silva sewage a mini stipend each period to propulsion a statement connected her assemblage campus. There were very fewer rules and nary metrics to deed connected RSVPs aliases summons sales, she says — it conscionable had to beryllium hosted connected nan Partiful app. Facebook events were dead; statement readying and RSVPing were fragmented crossed platforms. You could induce personification to a statement and not cognize who would show up. Partiful arrived astatine conscionable nan correct time. By nan clip D’Silva graduated, connection of rima had made it much than conscionable a caller app you had to download.

“I don’t moreover cognize what we did earlier Partiful,” D’Silva says. (Partiful is pronounced for illustration “beautiful.”)

The startup, founded successful 2019, has not created thing caller aliases moreover exciting, astatine slightest functionally speaking — it is an invitation and events platform. The astir striking point is possibly nan app’s ocular identity, which is playful but besides nostalgic for an era galore of its users ne'er experienced: tons of neon text, Y2K-era flyers, remixed memes. A premade day statement induce is designed successful nan style of nan Now That’s What I Call Music! series, isolated from it reads, “Now That’s What I Call Old.” When nan aesthetics are stripped away, Partiful offers thing truthful elemental it’s almost quaint: You tin make an event, induce your friends, and nan level will matter them to punctual them to come.

Compared to nan loud, quirky look and consciousness of Partiful nan app, nan agency successful downtown Brooklyn of Partiful nan institution are restrained: a emblematic open-concept tech startup abstraction pinch immense windows that sun comes pouring successful through. Several labor plug distant astatine computers arranged connected rows of long, shared desks. It is simply a nondescript agency that could walk for immoderate B2B SaaS agency — isolated from for nan copious amounts of Partiful merch peppering nan space. There are aggregate neon lights successful nan windows bent into nan style of nan Partiful logo. There are stickers and bracelets. In a area is simply a thong successful a framework — a gag gift, an worker tells me, themed astir nan motorboat of a characteristic that allows users to anonymously sanction a crush.

Partiful, Partiful, Partiful: If you are a young-ish personification successful a awesome metropolis aliases successful a assemblage municipality nan connection has go inescapable. Shreya Murthy, cofounder and CEO of nan company, told Marketing Brew successful March that Partiful aspires to beryllium connected nan level of “calling an Uber” aliases “using a Kleenex” — nan default for inviting personification to do something. The app caters to Gen Z, but from a business position it feels distinctly millennial: a throwback to an era of tech erstwhile liking rates were debased and startups could committedness to revolutionize groceries aliases taxis aliases integer invitations without turning a profit. In those days, these “disruptor” services were motivated by maturation — capturing a monolithic personification guidelines and figuring retired nan business exemplary later.

For offering specified a straightforward product, Partiful has attracted important industry attention and much than a fewer thinkpieces: It’s been called a “vibey nightmare,” pinch invitation etiquette that’s “out of control.” “Stop sending maine Partiful invitations,” GQ pleaded, saying nan level was fundamentally “yassified Evite.” But Partiful has different perennial PR problem: Murthy and chap cofounder Joy Tao antecedently worked astatine Palantir, nan data-mining institution whose clients see Immigration and Customs Enforcement and nan Israeli government, among different nationalist and backstage entities. That, mixed pinch nan truth that until precocious Partiful had nary important watercourse of revenue, has created a web of outrage and misinformation, but besides protect posturing and glib marketing. In nan ambiance of tech backlash wherever galore users do not spot nan manufacture to beryllium bully stewards of their data, nan Partiful-Palantir relationship has go a thorny topic. “Can we spot nan Palantir alumni statement app?” group wonder. And what to make of nan truth that this free arena level is really rather useful?

As we beryllium successful her office, Murthy tells me, “Partiful is simply a fundamentally societal experience, and we’ve designed a Partiful page to beryllium a living, breathing societal artifact that represents nan statement and supercharges nan statement and serves arsenic a representation container for nan party.” She is wearing a Partiful-branded hat, and a Partiful-branded mug sits connected nan table.

Unlike a tract wherever a personification simply purchases a summons to an event, Partiful attendees tin spot who other is going; hosts and guests tin stock photos, comment, and interact pinch each different connected nan arena page. This, Murthy reasons, is simply a cardinal portion of what sets Partiful apart. Another point that distinguishes her startup, Murthy is speedy to fto maine know: Partiful labor really really do party.

“We’re reasoning astir nan Partiful page arsenic a societal experience, because partying runs heavy successful our blood,” she says.

Partiful is Gen Z’s type of Facebook events, but it besides competes pinch much established platforms for illustration Eventbrite, aliases music-focused platforms for illustration Dice and RA Guide from Resident Advisor. Google named Partiful nan app of nan twelvemonth successful 2024, and successful 2022 nan startup raised much than $20 million successful funding. Murthy says that while nan institution doesn’t cod granular demographic accusation for illustration a user’s nonstop property aliases gender, nan “vast majority” of group are younger millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha by Partiful’s estimation, and its monthly progressive users are “in nan millions and increasing very quickly.” Appfigures, an analytics platform, estimates that Partiful has been downloaded 4.3 cardinal times successful nan past year, pinch nan US accounting for nan immense majority, according to information provided to The Verge. When Apple announced its competitor, Invites, successful 2025, immoderate wondered whether that was nan extremity of Partiful; indeed, Appfigures estimates Invites has been downloaded much than 9.7 cardinal times. Yet Partiful lives on.

Partiful’s fame among zoomers isn’t truthful overmuch an mishap arsenic it is simply a deliberate run to marketplace straight to them astatine nan spot they study really to party: connected assemblage campuses. LinkedIn lists galore young group pinch Partiful arsenic a past (temporary) employer who are hired to bring peers and different organizations onto nan platform. D’Silva, 1 of nan field ambassadors, watched Partiful go nan norm connected field among students arsenic she promoted nan app. In summation to nan $100 statement stipends she received monthly, nan institution besides offered $50 bonuses if ambassadors could person section organizations to subordinate nan platform, though D’Silva says she didn’t fuss pinch that task.

Unlike accepted societal media, Partiful wasn’t astir really galore likes aliases views you got, D’Silva says. The ambassadorship besides wasn’t paid, but D’Silva didn’t mind.

“I sewage a batch retired of having nan acquisition of hosting events and getting small budgets towards hosting my events,” she says. “It would almost beryllium for illustration nan salary successful itself was getting to link pinch my friends and bring my field together.”

Partiful besides throws a fewer 100 dollars astatine different users truthful that they tin big their ain events, says Anita Osuala, trading lead astatine Partiful — for illustration mounting speech a fund for a day money for Libras aliases Pride-themed events during nan period of June. If unit announcement an absorbing arena connected nan platform, they’ll characteristic it connected nan nationalist research page wherever users tin browse open-invite events. Partiful unit will often be events pinch viral imaginable to movie contented for societal media.

Event find is besides becoming much important to nan business: Partiful is betting that users will browse nan app to find events to spell to, moreover if they weren’t invited aliases don’t cognize anyone other going. Brands like Chipotle person utilized nan app to big nationalist in-person events, and Partiful has collaborated with artists for illustration Niall Horan to get group readying events.

In early June, nan institution made its first meaningful effort astatine monetization erstwhile it announced arena hosts would beryllium capable to sell tickets straight connected Partiful. Murthy says that nan predominant usage lawsuit for nan app is still for smaller, casual events for illustration day parties aliases housewarmings, but that past twelvemonth they started to spot much organization events being hosted connected Partiful: tally clubs, crafting nights, and different activities unfastened to a wider web of group and that costs money to shape and host. Partiful says nan trim it takes depends connected nan value of nan summons and nan arena size but does not connection a circumstantial breakdown of nan interest structure. In my tests, a big would request to value a summons astatine $57 to make $50 connected a summons (about a 14 percent summation to screen fees) aliases $13 to profit $10 connected a summons (a 30 percent increase).

But pinch nan preamble of Partiful’s first paid feature, Murthy assures maine nan institution has not gotten unit from investors to commencement making money.

“Partiful is incredibly good capitalized and our investors were really supportive of america waiting until we felt it was nan correct clip to commencement monetizing,” she says. “Even pinch nan determination to build ticketing, nan thought process was not, ‘Oh, we request to commencement monetizing, truthful we should build ticketing.’ It was, ‘Hey, this is simply a characteristic spread successful our platform.’” Murthy says nan halfway merchandise “will ever stay free,” but that nan institution could move into a “freemium” model, wherever definite features are disposable only to those who pay.

In 2023, nan Partiful X account, successful its signature, capital-B Brand voice, said successful a tweet that “partiful will not make money … investors gave america money to thief u statement and that is what we are present to do. bask it babes.” When announcing nan move into ticketing, Partiful maintained its effervescent reside arsenic it poked nosy astatine itself: “i conjecture this didn’t property well,” it tweeted, pointing to its erstwhile post.

A benevolent tech institution wanting to bring group together alternatively of tearing them apart, that stands to make small money but that is providing a work anyway, is simply a dream galore group would for illustration to judge in. Partiful, successful some its operations and its nationalist messaging, is simply a throwback to nan era of nan Millennial Lifestyle Subsidy, wherever users dined and rode and now statement connected nan dime of task superior without overmuch thought. It has undoubtedly made it easier for group to bent retired pinch their friends. Perhaps this is why, for galore people, nan Palantir connections consciousness truthful overmuch for illustration a betrayal.

There is simply a full big of allegations astir nan narration betwixt Partiful and Palantir, nan information institution and authorities contractor cofounded by Peter Thiel that has agelong been controversial. The claims (and nan responses to those claims) are sometimes imprecise, but they person followed Partiful everywhere, done media sum and TikTok remark sections alike: Palantir is nan statement foul.

“Imagine a Partiful for a protestation aliases organization gathering,” 1 commenter connected TikTok said. “Lmao everybody getting locked up,” personification other responded. Some group incorrectly declare that Partiful is owned by Palantir; others effort to deflect disapproval by saying, essentially, that group who are worried astir nan relationship are hysterical.

The Palantir discourse became a flashpoint of sermon aft The Cut ran a communicative past spring highlighting nan Partiful founders’ past jobs. In nan piece, Murthy separated Partiful from her past, assuring nan outlet that nan institution doesn’t waste personification information and saying she didn’t work together pinch overmuch of Palantir’s business practices. The communicative nevertheless caused a stir: Comments flooded The Cut’s Instagram page, including from group who appeared to beryllium ex-Palantir, too, according to their LinkedIn profiles. At nan time, Murthy herself suggested nan communicative only happened because female founders were “easy targets” and called nan sum “fake outrage” that would thrust clicks. Still, she told The Cut that her acquisition moving astatine Palantir was “just not thing that I spot a ton of our users having concerns about.” Now nan 2 companies are inextricably linked, nary matter really galore times Murthy says location is nary financial relationship pinch Palantir; each clip personification mentions Partiful online, Palantir is judge to travel up.

Murthy says she met cofounder Joy Tao aft their tenures astatine Palantir, wherever they worked from 2014 to 2018. (Tao joined Palantir done an acquisition, erstwhile the institution bought Poptip, a startup that parsed and quantified speech data.) Palantir is, astatine times, poorly understood by nan nationalist — possibly successful portion because its activity has intentionally curated a mysterious aura astir nan institution and its products. What is unambiguous is Palantir’s governmental alignment and public marque persona, particularly arsenic its authorities contracts punctual much and much scrutiny. Murthy says neither she nor Tao worked connected “the authorities broadside of nan business” and that her clients included entities for illustration car manufacturers, hospitals, and shipping companies. Her reside has softened successful nan twelvemonth since nan Cut piece.

“I understand why group person issues pinch nan company,” Murthy says. “The point that we ever opportunity is, ‘Look, we’re not affiliated successful immoderate way. We don’t person backing from them, we don’t person immoderate narration pinch them. We don’t stock information pinch them. It was a portion of our lives a decade ago, and it’s not a portion of our lives now.’”

I asked Murthy whether she agreed pinch Palantir exertion being utilized by nan Israeli authorities (the institution says it’s for “war-related missions”) aliases by ICE to find deportation targets. “Absolutely not,” she says. Murthy says she and Tao some sold their banal successful Palantir aft its IPO and do not travel nan institution intimately today, though they do support successful touch pinch friends they made while moving there. (Having Palantir connected a resume has besides proven advantageous for immoderate startup founders looking for investments.)

“When I deliberation astir nan things that I attraction astir and nan causes that I attraction about, that is conscionable very incidental to it, because I’m only keeping up pinch what they’re doing to nan grade that I’m keeping up pinch immoderate of nan cardinal things happening successful nan world,” Murthy says. “And everyone who is location is doing a group of things and doesn’t attraction astir me, either.”

One of nan much salient figures who’s raised concerns astir Partiful’s root communicative is Jessica Hallock, who runs the euphony and civilization website NYC Noise. Hallock maintains a page dedicated specifically to explaining why nan tract does not usage Partiful, and cites Murthy, Tao, and different Partiful employees’ past Palantir work, arsenic good arsenic broader concerns astir information handling and nan firm takeover of IRL activities. (TechCrunch found past twelvemonth that Partiful wasn’t removing metadata from photos users uploaded, meaning anyone could spot nan precise location a photograph was taken, perchance exposing wherever they live, work, aliases bent out.)

Another constituent often raised is wherever Partiful’s money comes from. Reporting indicates nan $20 cardinal Series A backing information successful 2022 was led by task superior patient Andreessen Horowitz, which has progressively poured money into defense tech companies. Marc Andreessen successful peculiar has go an state of Donald Trump, and successful June was named to nan Pentagon’s argumentation board. Andreessen Horowitz is besides 1 of the biggest donors going into nan November midterm elections. Murthy told The Verge in a follow-up email that nan company’s pre-seed information was led by Initialized Capital nether Jennifer Wolf, and that its seed information was led by GV, Alphabet’s task superior arm.

“Everything that we’ve shared is already what we’ve shared publicly. We are very good capitalized, is what I’ll say,” Murthy says. Murthy added that nan institution is not presently actively seeking caller funding, and that nan preamble of ticketing “probably pushes retired that timeline moreover further.” Murthy didn’t respond to a mobility sent via email astir whether she tapped Palantir networks for funding.

This is nan reputational hindrance Partiful finds itself in: The startup boasts that it has a batch of money successful nan bank, but immoderate users don’t spot wherever that money comes from. There was erstwhile a clip erstwhile group didn’t deliberation overmuch of a free, adjuvant platform, erstwhile Silicon Valley operated nether nan guise of progressive values, and erstwhile Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook were seen arsenic sources of connection, not division. In a post-Cambridge Analytica world, users person a renewed consciousness of really they are perchance being exploited; successful a Trump 2.0 world, tech companies are seen not truthful overmuch arsenic a democratizing unit but arsenic collaborators pinch a corrupt, convulsive administration. Even seemingly innocuous arena induce apps that nonstop texts astir location parties now must effort to guarantee their users that they person thing successful communal pinch a data-mining institution that useful pinch nan Department of Defense. They must besides judge that for immoderate people, nary promises are enough.

Hallock outlines nan hostility immoderate consciousness astir utilizing Partiful: People are doing their champion to find opportunities to definitive their values, “which tin consciousness intolerable aliases ridiculous erstwhile truthful galore of america are utilizing tech tied to warfare crimes,” she says successful an email. Even if Murthy and Tao person not worked for Palantir for years, those captious of nan institution judge it reflects connected what they are building now.

“It’s easiest to push backmost against systems and companies that aren’t ubiquitous yet — truthful there’s still clip to opportunity nary to Partiful powering our worlds, and to thatch nan adjacent procreation that moreover if moving for Palantir will get you millions successful VC cash, it’s a liability erstwhile pitching to anyone else,” Hallock said to The Verge.

Though Murthy is adamant that Partiful does not waste its users’ information, immoderate are nevertheless worried because they understand nan immense amounts of societal information nan institution collects: It knows not conscionable who my friends are, for illustration Instagram aliases TikTok mightiness beryllium capable to infer based connected who I interact with, but who I spot successful person, who those friends know, wherever we go, what we celebrate, and soon, what tickets I’m buying. When I opened nan app successful June, I saw a nationalist arena page for a performance that indicated 16 “mutuals” had RSVPed to nan event. I only knew 2 of them. The remainder were friends of friends, group who I person brushed shoulders pinch without moreover realizing. Was I seeing a societal chart aliases a surveillance dragnet? Was location moreover a difference? Partiful is capable to representation retired connections moreover I americium not alert of — but to beryllium fair, truthful tin Meta. The quality is that users cognize Meta monetizes their information by trading targeted ads, whereas Partiful is presently sitting connected a immense trove of accusation it claims it has nary volition to monetize.

“Is nan information valuable? Of course. But what really matters is really you usage it,” Murthy says, adding that she and Tao agreed together to not waste personification data. “The azygous astir valuable point that we tin do is usage it to proceed to make nan acquisition amended for our users. If we break personification trust, they will extremity utilizing nan platform.”

Others are moving to create Partiful alternatives without nan baggage of a Palantir background. I initially discovered Ephemeral Social done its website fuckpartiful.com. Ephemeral, a level created by Mansoor Siddiqui, includes an arena characteristic akin to Partiful. Ephemeral’s arena web app is free to usage and includes fee-free ticketing for nan first 50 tickets. By default, events are deleted 7 days aft they conclude, and Siddiqui is considering a nominal monthly interest to support nan suite of apps he is building. (Siddiqui is presently backing Ephemeral retired of pocket, but says he plans to person it governed by a nonprofit.)

Siddiqui compares Partiful to Instagram aliases TikTok — a abstraction truthful galore of your peers are connected that it’s difficult to wean yourself disconnected of it. These services are surely useful; they besides each consciousness a small bad to use.

“Life is complicated. It’s difficult to participate successful life correct now and not beryllium doing thing morally abstract,” he says. “If you activity astatine Partiful, you’re not my individual enemy. But I deliberation this speech is simply a larger [one] we’re having astir nan domiciled of exertion and our information is important to bring into focus.” Consumers should expect much from societal platforms that cod and usage their data, he stresses. (“Some of nan loudest claims person travel from group pinch incentives to sensationalize nan communicative aliases redirect users to their competing products,” Murthy told The Verge in a follow-up email erstwhile asked astir criticism. “That doesn’t make those claims true.”)

Murthy has a large imagination for what Partiful could become: It could beryllium nan level that powers everything group do successful nan existent world. People scheme their birthdays, of course, but immoderate moreover pencil successful day nights pinch their important others — Murthy says Partiful could beryllium successful each portion of a person’s societal calendar. The institution is exploring really to plug users into interest-based communities without a circumstantial event, for illustration groups for users to subordinate and enactment successful touch with.

“I would emotion for group to beryllium capable to bargain movie tickets connected Partiful, scheme group trips connected Partiful, book experiences connected Partiful — we already person a batch of that proto-behavior happening today,” Murthy says. The imagination goes beyond ticketing, beyond reminding your friends to show up to your barbecue and coordinate what everyone is bringing. I callback that D’Silva, 1 of nan erstwhile assemblage ambassadors, told maine she would create Partiful pages for blowout events, but besides to induce friends to person luncheon pinch her astatine her college’s cafeteria. Once, a friend of hers created a Partiful page not for an existent event, but to show D’Silva to return location correct distant because she had thing to show her. The level tin beryllium arsenic wide aliases arsenic friendly arsenic its users let it to be.

The smallest “events” mightiness successful truth beryllium nan astir revealing. One point Partiful and its critics look to work together connected is that it was ne'er conscionable an app for RSVPs.