New European rival to X is about to launch. Here's what you need to know

W Social, a new pan-European social media platform, was first unveiled at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January.

W has been positioned as a European alternative to X, with the aim of countering disinformation and “AI-generated rubbish”. The new company promises that all data will be stored in Europe, that the company cannot be sold to non-European actors, and that users will be able to control their own algorithms.

The initiative is led by Swedish impact entrepreneur Ingmar Rentzhog and his company We Don’t Have Time, which owns around 25% of the business. Other investors are mainly individuals who have also invested in We Don’t Have Time.

Impact Loop can now also reveal that the company has raised a total of €2.5m in funding, and that 25 people are currently working for the company, most of them based in Stockholm.

Rentzhog, who is also chairman of W, said at Techarena in Stockholm on Wednesday that Trump’s return to power – and the US administration’s attacks on universities and the media – has led to a growing realisation that science and a non-fabricated view of reality must be defended.

“The new battle is happening in the communications feed. That is why We Don’t Have Time is one of the initiators behind W,” he said.

One of W Social’s advisers (see full list below) is Cristina Caffarra, founder of EuroStack. EuroStack is an industry initiative aimed at building an open and independent digital infrastructure within the EU – something she says is fully aligned with W Social.

“Europe is a superpower and we must act like one. Tech is a cornerstone for driving growth here, and we cannot rely on American solutions. We cannot continue to be a digital colony. We must build it ourselves,” she said on the sidelines of Techarena.

Anna Zeiter, CEO and co-founder of W Social, sees the new social media venture as proof that Europe can do exactly that.

Why launch a new social media service now?

All major social media platforms either come from the US or China. X (formerly Twitter), used to be one of the most popular – yet a number of influential figures have left the platform since Elon Musk took over in 2022. Zeiter believes this has created a gap in the market – especially for secure alternatives.

All data from W Social will be stored in Europe, and all users will be verified in order to prevent AI bots. Anyone creating an account will need to upload a photo of their passport or ID card.

What will W Social look like?

Judging by the images the founding team has shown of the beta version on stage, the platform resembles the old Twitter or Bluesky. The resemblance to Bluesky goes beyond appearance. From the outset, W will be connected to Bluesky, meaning that all posts and comments made on one platform will also be visible on the other.

“The advantage of using W is that the data is stored in Europe and that all users are human. Bluesky cannot guarantee that,” said Ingmar Rentzhog, stressing that the service is meant to be for everyone.

“Even for people we disagree with. This isn’t just for climate activists or ‘the woke’,” he said.

How will W Social make money?

Johan Sundstrand, the company’s chief commercial officer, says the business will generate revenue in two ways: through advertising and through micropayments to access paywalled content.

While details are not yet finalised, the idea is that W Social will sign partnership agreements with media organisations so that users can “unlock” and read paywalled articles through the app. These revenues would be shared with content creators.

“But we will only start making money after we reach one million users. And it will never cost anything to be a user,” he said.

The app is expected to be available as a beta version shortly, and according to Zeiter the plan is for a broad launch towards the end of the year.

Members of W’s advisory board

• Cristina Caffarra, chair of the EuroStack initiative
• Elizabeth Denham, former UK Information Commissioner
• Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Honorary President of the Club of Rome
• Christophe Leclercq, co-founder of Europe MediaLab / Euractiv
• Yairv Adan, former Head of AI at Google, managing partner at Elpis
• Pär Nuder, former Swedish Minister of Finance
• Kristina Persson, former Swedish Minister for Strategic Development and Nordic Cooperation
• Marc Ploczek, former Chief Privacy Officer at PayPal, advisory board member at Greenopia
• Philipp Willigmann, CEO and founder of U Path & CVC / Open Innovation Ecosystem
• Philipp Rösler, former German Vice-Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs and Technology