Current Company Status

Pre seed round: Closed. Seed round: Closed. Code Factory operational. Platform buildout in final phase. Phoenix headquarters established. Global launch targeted for late summer 2026.

Squares 9 has advanced beyond concept into active execution. The company has successfully closed both its pre seed round and seed round, completed its internal AI development infrastructure, established its corporate headquarters in Phoenix, and advanced the platform into the final phase of buildout. These milestones reflect continued progress as the company prepares for market entry.

The company has completed Code Factory, its internal AI system for code writing and testing across platform modules. This system now operates as part of the company’s core infrastructure, increasing development speed and efficiency. Squares 9 is completing the final buildout, integration, and testing of its cloud based platform as it works toward a global launch targeted for late summer 2026.

Founder and Leadership

John Halotek founded Squares 9 in August 2024 after more than three decades working within government identification systems, access control, and security infrastructure at international scale. In those environments, the cost of getting the architecture wrong is not an abstract risk. His career was built on designing systems where structural security decisions had real and measurable consequences.

That background is directly relevant to what Squares 9 is building. The platform's architecture, its governing principles, and its approach to AI governance all reflect the judgment of someone who has spent a career in environments where security is the primary design requirement, not a feature layer added later. Halotek identified the convergence of AI capabilities with the structural weaknesses of legacy social media as an architectural problem that the industry had no structural incentive to solve on its own. Squares 9 was founded to solve it.

For investors evaluating an early stage company, founder background is one of the primary inputs to risk assessment. Halotek brings domain expertise that is directly applicable to the problem the company is solving, operational discipline from working in high stakes security environments, and a founding rationale grounded in a specific, documented market gap rather than a consumer trend. As of August 2026, Halotek does not draw a salary from the company.

The Market Opportunity

Squares 9 is positioned to pursue meaningful share in one of the largest digital markets in the world. The opportunity is not to displace every existing platform. It is to serve the portion of a market measured in billions of people that is seeking a more private and more controlled experience, while credible alternatives remain limited.

People are increasingly aware of how their data is collected, stored, analyzed, and monetized. At the same time, the experience on many platforms has become saturated with noise, distraction, and unwanted exposure. Squares 9 is positioned within this gap, where demand exists and credible alternatives remain limited.

Why Now

Squares 9 was founded at a specific inflection point in the social media market. Declining user trust, rising fatigue with engagement driven platforms, and accelerating regulatory pressure across major regions are converging simultaneously. The window for a new category leader in private social media is open, and it is not permanent.

Regulatory pressure is expanding across major regions, shaping how platforms are expected to operate. At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure now enable platforms to be built and scaled with a level of efficiency that was previously unattainable. Squares 9 is being developed at the convergence of these forces, which strengthens the timing of the opportunity.

Capital Progress

The completion of the pre seed round and the seed round marks a defined step forward in the company’s development. Capital has been converted into tangible progress, including the completion of the internal AI development system and the continued advancement of the platform toward launch. This reflects a disciplined approach to capital deployment.

The company’s infrastructure is built on AWS. Squares 9 has been accepted into AWS startup support programs and has been awarded AWS promotional credits in 2026 to support cloud based development. These credits are being applied to two research and development initiatives based on internally developed white papers.

Investors evaluate how capital is used as much as how it is raised. Squares 9 has demonstrated that investment is being translated into capability, execution speed, and structural advantage.

What Has Been Built

Squares 9 is being developed as a private social media platform centered on controlled human interaction. Its architecture is built around invitation based environments where individuals determine who they engage with, and where access is limited by design. This shifts the experience from broad exposure toward intentional connection.

The completion of Code Factory adds a critical layer to the platform’s foundation. As an internal AI system for writing and testing code, it functions as a core operating asset that improves development speed, enhances consistency, and supports efficient scaling.

Execution Milestones Achieved

The company has completed several foundational milestones required for launch and growth. Early capital has been secured, the internal AI development system is operational, the platform has progressed into the final stage of cloud based buildout, and Squares 9 has established its corporate headquarters in Phoenix. The headquarters marks the first step in a gradual consolidation of corporate and operational functions as the organization grows.

Squares 9 is working with Armakuni to support development and testing of the platform’s infrastructure. This engagement strengthens the company’s capabilities in cloud architecture, scalability, and system performance as it prepares for launch.

These milestones reduce uncertainty and demonstrate measurable forward movement from an early development company toward an operating platform and scalable organization. Environmental performance was also considered in selecting the Phoenix headquarters, consistent with the company’s ESG framework.

Global Scalability by Design

Squares 9 is a cloud based platform designed for international deployment from the outset. The core platform architecture is intended to support expansion without requiring the underlying system to be rebuilt for each market. New regions require localization, deployment planning, regulatory review, and distribution rather than development of an entirely separate platform.

The value proposition is designed to translate across markets because the demand for more private and more controlled digital interaction is broadly shared. A common platform foundation can support international expansion while allowing Squares 9 to address the legal, cultural, operational, and localization requirements of individual markets.

AI Driven Execution

Squares 9 operates on an AI first execution model that directly impacts speed and cost structure. Through Code Factory, AI agents write, test, and refine platform modules, increasing output and accelerating development cycles.

Based on internal development comparisons, Squares 9 estimates that Code Factory has improved development efficiency by approximately 70 percent compared with the traditional development processes used as the company’s baseline. This estimate is based on internal measurements and has not been independently validated.

As the company grows, additional AI agents are expected to support expanding operational demands across the platform. The company believes this model can increase output without requiring proportional increases in cost, reinforcing potential advantages in execution, efficiency, and long term scalability.

Structural Advantages

Squares 9 operates at the intersection of three defining factors: a global market with billions of participants, evolving expectations around privacy and control, and an operating model built for speed and efficiency. Together, these conditions create a differentiated position within the broader social media market.

The company is not competing within the legacy model of social media. It offers a different framework for interaction built around privacy, control, and intentional connection. This differentiation gives Squares 9 a clearly defined position within the broader market and a distinct proposition for people seeking greater control over their digital relationships.

AI driven execution can increase development speed and improve cost efficiency. Cloud based infrastructure supports international deployment from a common platform foundation. Together, these elements are intended to support efficient scaling as the company moves from development into market entry.

Why the Model Can Drive Adoption

Squares 9 provides a fundamentally different experience: a contained environment where individuals engage with people they know and trust, without the behavioral profiling, broad public exposure, and engagement mechanisms common to open social platforms. The company believes that distinction can provide a meaningful reason for people seeking greater control over their digital relationships to adopt the platform.

The platform reduces noise, limits unwanted exposure, and creates a more focused form of interaction. As users become more selective about where they engage, this shift toward controlled connection becomes increasingly relevant.

Path to Launch

Squares 9 is completing the final phase of its cloud based platform buildout and is targeting global launch for late summer 2026. The remaining work includes infrastructure completion, module integration, system testing, security validation, and deployment readiness.

The company has not established a final launch date. Management intends to set that date when the platform has satisfied its technical and operational readiness requirements rather than allowing a previously announced calendar date to determine deployment.

Post Launch Growth

Squares 9 is designed for controlled, organic expansion. The platform’s structure supports invitation based growth, where members bring in trusted connections and networks expand through real relationships.

As the network grows, each additional member increases the platform’s value within their own circle. Growth is therefore tied to utility, trust, and relevance, which supports durability over time.

The Upside

Capturing even a small percentage of a global market measured in billions of users represents substantial upside. Squares 9 combines timing, scalability, capital progress, and an efficient operating model to pursue that opportunity.

The company is positioned within an established category while introducing a model that reflects evolving user expectations. When a large market shifts and a company is prepared to execute, the opportunity becomes significantly more credible.

Next Phase

With launch approaching, Squares 9 is entering its next phase of development. The company has established early capital support, built a core internal AI development system, established its Phoenix headquarters, and advanced the platform toward market entry.

The next stage focuses on launch execution, infrastructure scaling, progressive consolidation of corporate and operational functions in Phoenix, market expansion, and member growth. Future capital would be directed toward accelerating a platform and organization that have already demonstrated measurable progress and a defined strategic direction.

QSBS Eligibility

Squares 9, Corporation is an Arizona C corporation that believes it currently satisfies the corporate requirements applicable to Qualified Small Business Stock under Section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code. Depending on the date stock is issued, the length of time it is held, the status of the company throughout the applicable period, and the individual circumstances of the investor, qualifying shares may be eligible for significant federal capital gains exclusions.

QSBS treatment is subject to detailed statutory requirements and can be affected by company activities, asset levels, stock issuance dates, holding periods, transfers, redemptions, and investor specific circumstances. Squares 9 does not provide tax or legal advice and does not guarantee that any particular investment will qualify for an exclusion. Prospective and existing shareholders should consult their own qualified tax and legal advisors regarding Section 1202.

Investor Contact

Squares 9 is preparing for its next financing stage as the company moves toward platform launch. Qualified investors interested in learning more about the company, its capital structure, or future investment opportunities are invited to contact the Investor Relations team directly.

Forward-Looking Statements

This page contains forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements regarding anticipated product launch timelines, future growth, market opportunity, and the expected performance of the Squares 9 platform. These statements are based on current expectations, assumptions, and projections and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties.

Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied due to various factors, including changes in market conditions, technological developments, regulatory requirements, competitive dynamics, and the company’s ability to execute its plans. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Squares 9, Corporation undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this page.