Spoony raises $1 million for disabled and neurodivergent social platform
Australian startup Spoony has raised $1 million for an app designed to help disabled, neurodivergent, and chronically ill users build genuine connections online.
With traditional social media platforms threatened by political hostility and government bans, Australian startup Spoony has raised $1 million for an app designed to help disabled, neurodivergent, and chronically ill users build genuine connections online.
Spoony, founded in 2024 by CEO Nicholas Carlton and CTO Kenneth Liang, intends to provide a safe and stigma-free alternative to platforms like X, Facebook, TikTok, and even dating apps.
More than 22,000 people have signed up for Spoony since its soft launch in September, with thousands more on its waitlist.
Speaking to SmartCompany, Carlton said now is the time to develop a platform that fosters connection among users who might feel isolated on existing social media.
“There is such a big cultural appetite for safe, empathetic spaces that prioritise the health and wellbeing of their users,” he said.
New alternative in changing social media market
The name Spoony references a metaphor adopted by those living with disability and chronic illness, which states each person has a set amount of energy, or ‘spoons’, to give each day.
The Spoony app allows users to display their ‘spoons’ status, indicating how open they are to conversation at any given moment.
By highlighting those ‘spoons’, other users can understand why a new friend may be quieter than usual, instead of assuming they have simply abandoned a conversation.
It can be difficult to convey the day-to-day realities of neurodivergence, chronic illness, and disability online, Carlton said, making it hard for some people to build new relationships.
“If you want to find people that really understand your lived experience, it’s not always easy to find people that might share your health condition or disability and to be able to connect with them,” Carlton said.
And while platforms like X, Facebook, and TikTok have fostered vibrant communities, Carlton said users are increasingly concerned by “quite toxic” behaviour, stigma, and bullying.
Some users are also uncomfortable with the increasingly laissez-faire approach to censorship on platforms like X and Facebook.
“When you look at the fact that the social media landscape is in flux, and you look at all these major platforms essentially taking the guard rails off completely, and throwing throwing their users under the bus, we think that our platform comes at the right moment,” Carlton said.
Spoony takes a “far more aggressive” approach to moderation than the alternatives, Carlton added, saying the platform utilises a human moderation team and AI systems to detect abuse, harassment, and anti-social behaviour.
Value in connecting users to services
The $1 million pre-seed raise was led by Antler Ventures, which last year welcomed Spoony to its residency program, with input from NDIS provider Melba Support, and early-stage investment syndicate Trampoline.
Spoony’s userbase presents a unique commercial opportunity, Carlton said.
“Our plan at the moment is to charge businesses and healthcare service providers to access our users: that might be through the form of advertising, or might be in a more direct way,” he said.
“We might be able to match users with therapists, with support workers, with all the different services that they need to live good life.”
Spoony is also considering how educational content could fit on the platform, and how it could further implement AI into its support features.
“There’s a lot of different ways we can add value to the users, but also drive revenue in the future,” he said.
Beyond its waiting list of users, Carlton said it has a roster of organisations and brands curious about Spoony’s commercial opportunities.
In a statement, Hayley Dean, CEO of Melba Support Services, advocated for the Spoony model.
“The disability community has been clear – they want modern, accessible ways to connect with others who understand their experiences,” she said.
While the startup was founded in Melbourne, Carlton said viral videos on TikTok have already exposed Spoony to a global audience.
Less than a quarter of Spoony’s user base is Australian, with others hailing from the US, UK, Canada, and New Zealand, all of which are targets for expansion.
By aggressively growing in those markets, Carlton hopes to turn Spoony into what he dubs Australia’s first “impact unicorn”.
“We essentially want to aggregate the entire global community of neurodivergent, chronically ill and disabled people,” he said.
“We want to be the leader in this category.
“We want to be the default platform that, if you’re from this community, you’re on Spoony.”
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