NGL
NGL is an anonymous Q&A and social messaging mobile app that lets Gen-Z users share personal links on social media to receive anonymous questions, confessions, and game responses from friends. It now operates as a subsidiary of Mode Mobile within the EarnOS rewards ecosystem.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What NGL does
NGL (Not Gonna Lie) is a consumer mobile application that enables anonymous Q&A messaging and social games between users and their existing friend networks. Founded in 2021 by Joao Figueiredo and Raj Vir as a weekend side project, the company is based in Venice Beach, California, and operates with a 1–10 person team. Users share a personal NGL link on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Twitter, and receive anonymous questions, confessions, "never have I ever" responses, and "describe me in 3 words" answers from friends, with games fully customizable in prompts, reply colors, and backgrounds.
The product is built as a text-only mobile platform with no photo or video messaging, a design choice that limits harmful-content vectors and complements a pre-delivery AI moderation layer integrated from Hive Moderation. Safety infrastructure includes hidden-words filtering, user blocking, link pausing, enhanced moderation modes, mandatory 18+ age verification, and CSAM reporting to NCMEC under 18 U.S.C. § 2258A, with General Counsel Justin Hines serving as Child Safety Point of Contact.
NGL monetizes via an NGL Pro premium subscription offering an ad-free experience and additional features, plus post-acquisition advertising and rewards-based engagement through Mode Mobile's EarnOS ecosystem. Following Mode Mobile's December 2025 acquisition, NGL operates as a subsidiary within Mode's consumer-tech portfolio alongside AppLock Pro, with Mode preparing for an IPO and integrating NGL's 125M+ MAU Gen-Z audience into EarnOS.
NGL firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NGL
- Legal name
- NGL: Ask Me Anything
- Website
- https://ngl.link
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- NGL is an anonymous Q&A and social messaging mobile app that lets Gen-Z users share personal links on social media to receive anonymous questions, confessions, and game responses from friends. It now operates as a subsidiary of Mode Mobile within the EarnOS rewards ecosystem.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where NGL is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
NGL business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- NGL Pro Subscription: NGL offers a premium subscription tier called NGL Pro, providing additional features and an ad-free experience. Users can subscribe and manage their subscription directly within the app. The terms of NGL Pro are clearly disclosed before subscription, and users can cancel at any time.
- In-App Engagement and Advertising: Following acquisition by Mode Mobile, NGL is being integrated into the EarnOS ecosystem, which enables users to earn rewards for engagement, subscriptions, and advertiser interactions. This suggests advertising and advertiser interactions are part of the monetization strategy.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | NGL Pro premium subscription with additional features and ad-free experience |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
NGL product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NGL is a mobile-first anonymous messaging and Q&A social gaming app that lets users share a personal NGL link across social media platforms to receive anonymous questions, confessions, and game responses from friends. The platform supports multiple game formats (ask me anything, confessions, never have I ever, describe me in 3 words, custom games) with text-only messaging, AI-powered content moderation, user safety controls, and a premium NGL Pro subscription tier offering additional features and an ad-free experience.
Product overview
NGL (Not Gonna Lie) is a consumer-facing social networking and Q&A messaging application. The core product is the NGL App, which enables users to play Q&A games with followers, receive anonymous confessions, and engage through games like 'Ask Me Anything', 'Confessions', 'Never Have I Ever', and '3 Words'. The app was built as a platform to deepen connections with real-world friends in a digital space. NGL Pro is a premium subscription add-on that enhances the experience. The company was acquired by Mode Mobile in December 2025 and is now part of the EarnOS ecosystem, enabling users to earn rewards for engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- NGL App (NGL: Ask Me Anything) A viral anonymous messaging and social networking mobile application for Gen-Z users. Users share their personal NGL link across social media platforms and receive anonymous questions, confessions, and game responses from friends. Includes multiple Q&A game types (ask me anything, confessions, never have I ever, describe me in 3 words, custom games), AI-powered content moderation, user safety controls, and customization features.
- NGL Pro (Premium Subscription) A premium subscription tier within the NGL app offering additional features and an ad-free experience. Users can subscribe and manage their subscription directly within the app with clearly disclosed terms.
Companies that use NGL
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
NGL technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
NGL partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Mode MobilecoreMode Mobile acquired NGL in December 2025 as a strategic move to integrate a massive Gen-Z audience (125+ million MAU) into Mode's EarnOS ecosystem. NGL will layer Mode's monetization and rewards infrastructure across its platform, enabling users to earn rewards for engagement, subscriptions, and advertiser interactions. The acquisition is part of Mode's preparation for an IPO. Daniel Hoffer, a veteran VC and founder of CouchSurfing.com, was appointed to Mode's Board to support the integration.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
NGL competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tellonym: Anonymous messaging and Q&A platform popular among younger users globally. Operates the same anonymous question-and-answer mechanic as NGL, targeting a similar teen/young-adult audience.
- BeReal: Authenticity-focused Gen-Z social app where friends share unfiltered daily photos. Competes with NGL for the same Gen-Z attention by positioning around real-life, low-curation social interaction.
- Sarahah: Pioneering anonymous feedback app that lets users receive messages via a shareable link. Historical direct peer to NGL in the anonymous messaging category, especially across international markets.
- YOLO: Anonymous Q&A app that lets users receive questions via shareable links on Instagram and Snapchat. Closest direct competitor to NGL in the anonymous messaging game format and target demographic.
- Sendit: Anonymous Q&A and polling app that lives natively on Snapchat, letting followers ask questions and send messages. Direct competitor to NGL in the anonymous social/Q&A category for Gen-Z users.
- Curious Cat: Anonymous Q&A social platform allowing users to receive questions and confessions via a shareable link. Overlaps directly with NGL's anonymous inbox and Q&A game mechanics.
Emerging players
- Locket Widget: Friends-only widget that delivers photos directly to a user's home screen. Targets the same Gen-Z demographic with intimate, friend-network-only social sharing — adjacent use case to NGL's anonymous friend Q&A.
- Dispo: Disposable-camera-style social app created by David Dobrik, targeting Gen Z with delayed, unfiltered photo sharing. Competes for the same authenticity-seeking Gen-Z mindshare as NGL.
- Gas (formerly TBH): Polling and compliment-based social app for teens where users anonymously vote on positive attributes of classmates. Same anonymous-positive-feedback mechanic as NGL, narrower in scope.
Broad incumbents
- Mode Mobile: Consumer technology company and NGL's parent company post-acquisition, operating the EarnPhone and EarnOS ecosystem. Comparable as a broader Gen-Z mobile platform with adjacent monetization and engagement mechanics to NGL.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NGL social profiles
Digital presenceNGL compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
NGL financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NGL leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
NGL funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NGL M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NGL
What does NGL do?
NGL is a mobile-first anonymous messaging and Q&A social gaming app that lets users share a personal NGL link across social media platforms to receive anonymous questions, confessions, and game responses from friends. The platform supports multiple game formats (ask me anything, confessions, never have I ever, describe me in 3 words, custom games) with text-only messaging, AI-powered content moderation, user safety controls, and a premium NGL Pro subscription tier offering additional features and an ad-free experience.
Is NGL a public or private company?
NGL is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was NGL founded?
NGL was founded in 2021. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is NGL based?
NGL is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does NGL make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. NGL Pro Subscription is the primary driver. The others are in-App Engagement and Advertising.
Who are NGL's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tellonym, BeReal, Sarahah, YOLO, Sendit and Curious Cat. Emerging players are Locket Widget, Dispo and Gas (formerly TBH). Mode Mobile is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does NGL have an API?
No public API is recorded for NGL.