European social network start‑ups launch to rival US and Asian giants

A wave of new Europe‑based social platforms has opened or is preparing to launch, aiming to offer alternatives to dominant US and Asian services. Croatia‑based eYou went live on Tuesday, while other projects such as the X‑competitor W, the aggregator Eurosky, the "healthy" network Bulle, and the TikTok‑Instagram hybrid Monnett are slated for release in the coming months.

Founders cite growing distrust of existing platforms amid strained transatlantic relations. "We think the timing is perfect, in a context where relations between Europe and the US are still deteriorating," said Gregoire Vigroux, co‑founder of eYou. Researchers warn of the obstacles: "The world of social networks is an enormous graveyard," Vigroux added, noting that 99 % of European attempts over the last decade have failed. Early traction is modest—eYou raised €300,000 and Monnett reports about 65,000 beta users—but the newcomers hope differentiated policies, such as limited algorithmic curation and reduced targeted advertising, will attract users dissatisfied with the current giants.