Happy Monday and welcome back to Early Access by Coeus Collective Ventures: the newsletter where you get an inside look into one promising company in our network.

Last week, we explored OOSO, a non-alcoholic sparkling tea, designed to suit the ever-changing preferences of Gen Z. Today, we're shifting gears and spotlighting ConnNext, a community-first professional networking platform built for creating genuine relationships.

Have you had it with LinkedIn? Well, then this may be the product for you. Let's get ConnNext-ed.

Everyone has heard the job hunt advice to network and put yourself out there. It’s not about what you know, but rather who you know. But, for the millions of young professionals navigating career transitions in a hybrid, post-pandemic world, this advice feels impossible to follow. The connections that used to form naturally in hallways, at happy hours, and over lunch have largely disappeared. What's left is LinkedIn and other platforms that are not optimized for community building and genuine connections.

The consequence is a generation of qualified, motivated professionals who are invisible to the people who could change their trajectory. ConnNext is solving that.

The platform is built around the insight that careers are built through relationships, not applications. ConnNext gives young professionals a space to find people on similar career journeys, connect through a structured two-step process designed to lead to real one-on-one conversations, and grow their networks intentionally over time. Community events, smart matching, and a recognition system that celebrates the people who show up to help others, creates a product designed to make professional community feel genuine rather than transactional.

ConnNext Founder Celia Davis on our Capital Calling Podcast