New Search Engine Raises $1.1M to Fuel Deep Fandom Browsing

A new startup called Lore has secured $1.1 million in pre-seed funding to build a search platform designed specifically for fandoms. The platform helps users explore deep dives into their obsessions — with fan theories, cultural context, and even connections across their interests.

Founded by Zehra Naqvi, Lore aims to create a personalized “graph of obsessions,” surface niche fandom updates, and let users zoom in or out across their interests. Its initial tests showed over 1,000 users logging in, logging nearly 24,000 searches and spending over 200 hours collectively exploring content.

Lore’s investors believe the product fills a gap in the ecosystem: instead of generic search or social media, the platform is built for passionate, curiosity-driven browsing. Its next step is a public launch on October 6.