Canadian startup Gander Social has raised over $1 million CAD in just over a week through the first phase of its equity crowdfunding campaign on FrontFundr, marking one of the fastest-growing campaigns in the platform’s history.
More than 1,300 Canadian investors backed the Ottawa-based company, which surpassed its $1 million target only eight days after launch — with the first $500,000 raised “within hours,” according to Gander.
Founded in 2025 by CEO Ben Waldman, Gander Social aims to build a sovereign, Canadian-controlled social media network, offering a national alternative to U.S.-based platforms like Elon Musk’s X and Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta. The platform already counts 34,000 signups and has notable advisors including Arlene Dickinson, Amber Mac, Taylor Owen, and Blaine Cook (the original architect of Twitter’s API).
“Thousands of Canadians have invested and shown us they’re tired of being manipulated by foreign big tech, tired of disinformation and division,” said Ben Waldman, CEO of Gander Social. “They’ve put up their hard-earned dollars to build something better — a platform Canadians actually own and control.”
Building a “Sovereign” Social Platform for Canada
Waldman said the idea for Gander Social emerged from concerns over data sovereignty and the heavy reliance on U.S. tech infrastructure.
“Trump started calling us the 51st state,” Waldman said on The BetaKit Podcast. “I realized that under the cloud systems we currently use, an executive order could effectively shut down Canada’s digital presence overnight. That was the wake-up call.”
Gander’s infrastructure is being built using open protocols like AT Protocol (the same used by Bluesky) to allow interoperability between social apps while giving users full control of their data. The company also plans to integrate Canadian-built technologies from Interac and Canada Post for secure identity verification.
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Community-Funded, Community-Owned
The minimum investment on FrontFundr was set at $255, giving supporters not only equity in the company but also a say in product design, early access to features, and friend invitations ahead of the public rollout.
Funds from this round will support Gander Social’s 2026 public launch, focusing on:
- Hiring engineers, trust & safety, and growth roles
- Expanding creator and verification tools
- Developing customizable feeds and moderation controls
- Scaling to 500,000 Canadian users
Unlike traditional social platforms, Gander will operate on a subscription-based model with no surveillance advertising or data resale, offering Canadians a privacy-first alternative to global tech giants.
Aiming for Profitability and Public Listing
According to its FrontFundr campaign, Gander plans to focus on profitability, independence, and sustainable growth through recurring revenues and a defensible domestic user base. The company also hinted at a potential future public listing once it achieves scale.
Gander will release a beta version of its platform in the coming weeks to test infrastructure, collect user feedback, and refine core features ahead of a public launch in early 2026.
“We’re building something Canadian from the ground up — by Canadians, for Canadians,” said Waldman. “This is about creating digital independence and giving people a social space they can actually trust.”
The FrontFundr campaign remains open for another 42 days, allowing additional investors to participate in what could become Canada’s first large-scale sovereign social media network.
