Ukrainian internet entrepreneur Alexei Mas has departed from his position as head of the innovation laboratory at Kyivstar to launch a new venture called «Craft Social Networks». His last day at the telecommunications company was 31 July 2019, marking the beginning of a project designed to create bespoke social networks for specific companies, communities, and user groups.
Mas describes the initiative as a platform that will allow businesses and communities to build their own individual online communities, rather than relying on a single, centralised social network. The goal, he says, is to return to a more distributed model of the internet within the social media space, where organisations can own and control their digital communities without being subject to the rules and algorithms of large platforms.
The project aims to fill a niche between Facebook and Telegram. While Facebook allows companies and communities to create groups, these are dependent on the platform's policies and algorithms. Telegram offers channels and chats for gathering audiences, but lacks the capacity for complex community structures, gamification, and user engagement management that Mas envisions for his custom networks.
Each social network built through the project will be tailored to a specific audience, theme, and use case. According to Mas, the product is intended for companies that need not only to broadcast information to users but also to foster sustainable interaction within their communities. This approach, he believes, will give organisations greater control over their online presence and user engagement.
During the initial phase, the project team plans to gather technical requirements, assemble a team, attract investors, and develop several prototypes. From these, a primary product version will be selected. The team is also considering the launch of a mobile web version and the development of native applications for Android and iOS.
To test the concept, Mas is seeking early adopters — companies and communities willing to trial the model of individual social networks in practice. At the time of the project's announcement, several potential clients had already expressed interest.
The financial model for the project involves attracting a lead investor and a syndicate of smaller investors. Members of the syndicate will be able to invest modest sums and receive a stake proportional to their contribution. Mas believes this approach will help gather not only capital but also a community of people interested in advancing a new model for social networking.
Alexei Mas is a well-known figure in the Ukrainian internet business landscape. He has previously developed several online projects, including,, and «Derevo Druzei» (Tree of Friends), and was a co-founder of the iForum conference. For the past three years, he worked at Kyivstar on innovation initiatives.
Mas views the new project as an independent business with global potential. Its core mission is to create a tool that enables companies and communities to launch their own social networks, reducing their dependence on large, centralised platforms. By offering a customisable alternative, «Craft Social Networks» aims to empower organisations to build and manage their digital communities on their own terms.
