Ukrainian internet entrepreneur Alexei Mas has left his position as head of the innovation laboratory at Kyivstar to launch a new venture called «Craft Social Networks». The project, announced shortly after his departure on July 31, 2019, aims to provide businesses and communities with the ability to create their own tailored social networks, moving away from the centralized model of existing major platforms.
Mas describes the initiative as a return to a distributed internet in the form of social networks. He argues that current large platforms like Facebook have become overly centralized, leaving companies and communities dependent on rules and algorithms that may not serve their specific needs. The project seeks to fill a niche between Facebook and Telegram, offering more structure and engagement tools than Telegram while avoiding the constraints of Facebook's group system.
Under the «Craft Social Networks» model, each social network would be built to order, customized for a particular audience, theme, and use case. Mas envisions these networks as tools for companies that need not only to broadcast information but also to foster sustainable interaction within their communities. The platform would allow for features such as gamification and advanced user engagement management, which are limited in simpler messaging apps.
The first phase of the project involves gathering technical requirements, assembling a team, attracting investors, and developing several prototypes. From these, a primary product version will be selected. The team also plans to launch a mobile web version and develop applications for Android and iOS. Mas is actively seeking early customers to test the model, and he reports that several potential clients have already expressed interest.
Financially, the project is structured around a title investor and a syndicate of small investors. Members of the syndicate can invest smaller amounts and receive a stake proportional to their contribution. Mas believes this approach will not only raise capital but also build a community of people invested in the development of a new social network paradigm.
Alexei Mas is a well-known figure in the Ukrainian internet space, having previously developed projects such as,, and «Дерево друзей» (Tree of Friends), and co-founded the iForum conference. For the past three years, he worked at Kyivstar on innovative initiatives. He now views «Craft Social Networks» as an independent business with global potential, aiming to create tools that allow companies and communities to launch their own social networks without complete dependence on large centralized platforms.
The project comes at a time when concerns about data privacy, algorithmic control, and platform monopolies are growing worldwide. By offering a decentralized alternative, Mas hopes to empower organizations to own their community data and engagement strategies. The success of the venture will depend on its ability to attract both investors and early adopters willing to move away from established social media giants.