Shreya Murthy believes the best moments of our lives happen offline. As the co-founder and CEO of Partiful, she’s building tech to make it easier to create meaningful, real-world memories. Now used in over 100 countries, the digital invitation platform has powered countless birthday parties, weddings, and the 2024 Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest in New York City where the Oscar-nominated actor himself showed up. While guests can RSVP without an account, 5 million new users signed up in the first half of 2025 to host their own events and access extra features.
The company focused on in-person events was founded in 2020 just as the world went into lockdown. If anything, however, the pandemic only underscored the profound human need for real-world connection, Murthy says. “I think we all realized during the pandemic how important in-person hangouts are to our mental health, to our sense of community.”