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Grouphug is a Stealth-Mode Startup That Plans to Use AI Inside WhatsApp Groups
By Mike Butcher, Editor-at-Large
A new stealth-mode startup called Grouphug has emerged onto the European startup scene. According to TechCrunch sources close to the company, Grouphug plans to utilize artificial intelligence within WhatsApp groups.
Led by Felix Petersen, a seasoned B2C founder with a history of launching successful consumer apps, including Amen and Plazes, Grouphug seems to be more than just a simple meme generator at its surface. The initial application allows users to export text from a group WhatsApp chat and generate humorous images based on the content. However, this is merely a precursor to something much larger.
Petersen hinted to TechCrunch that the company has bigger plans for the platform. “We believe we’ve cracked AI humor,” he stated. “For now, Grouphug will create jokes based on what happened in the group. We turn your WhatsApp chats into memes. But then we have other plans for it.”
In essence, Grouphug is looking to tap into a massive untapped market: private WhatsApp groups. As Petersen explained, “There is this world of group chats where most of the things happening, like on Reddit or X, are conducted in public. But everything that’s in WhatsApp groups is not part of the public internet. That’s an opportunity.”
The startup has already secured a significant pre-seed round of €1.5 million ($1.7 million) led by Blueyard VC, alongside Tiny VC, Charles Songhurst (a Meta board member), Atlantic Labs, and other undisclosed investors.
Petersen is joined by co-founders Joseph Djenandji, who recently exited his well-known multi-channel travel brand LostIn, and Matthew Balazsi, a 10-year veteran of AI and ML work.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/29/grouphug-is-a-stealth-mode-startup-that-plans-use-ai-inside-whatsapp-groups/
