Just Give’r: Why We’re Inviting Canadians to Co-Own Gander Social

TL;DR

A few weeks ago, we took a deep breath and quietly launched an equity crowdfunding campaign:

It’s been a wild ride since. After hitting our early milestones, way faster than we anticipated, we’re opening things up to the rest of Canada.

If you’re new to Gander (or this whole crowdinvesting thing) we wrote this to catch you up, share our approach to funding the platform, and to invite you to join the growing number of Canadians who are now co-owners of Gander Social.

A Short History

When we started Gander, we had two thoughts: either social media has to go, or someone needs to fix it.

So we set about fixing it.

We’re not a giant tech company. We’re four cofounders and a small team of devs with some early boot-strap-support (and a lot of patience) from friends and family.

All of which has allowed us to get a beta version of the platform running alongside supporting a burgeoning community of Canadians who, like us, believe that social media needs to be better.

Just Give’r

When we decided to pursue equity crowdfunding we weren’t sure what to expect. Like, at all.

It could flop. But we also knew we didn’t want to build Gander through the usual models: quick flip IPOs or profits driven by selling someone else’s data.

Instead we chose to do it the Canadian way and just give’r.

So we sent an email to our Early Access Program and opened up investment in Gander in a way that felt right to us. What’s happened since has been nothing short of astonishing.

Within hours of launching, we passed $500,000 (CAD of course) in pending investments. Just over a week later, we hit the $1 million mark with over 1,200 investors. Crazy.

Let’s Change the Model

This isn’t just about building an app: it’s about building the kind of digital space we want to leave for future generations. A place that reflects Canadian values: fairness, respect, accountability, and community.

That’s why we are inviting Canadians to join us in owning Gander Social. Together, we can prove that social media doesn’t have to be powered by surveillance ads, selling data, or “growth at all costs.”

We’ve heard every shortcut:

“Why not sell the data?”
“Why not just run it on Big Tech’s servers?”
“Why not raise $100 million and flip it?”

But shortcuts lead back to the same problems we’re all trying to escape. Gander is different. By keeping it sustainable, independent, and Canadian-owned we’re changing how social media is done around here.

This community has already shown what’s possible when Canadians come together to build something better.

Now, we have the chance to expand on the meaning when we say Gander is Canadian-owned.

Taking Flight

This raise is about launching a real alternative and building something that lasts.

The funds raised will be used to:

Fuel our public launch. We’ll move from private beta to national rollout in 2026, beginning with onboarding Early Access Program members and building momentum through trusted creators, civic partners, and community organizations.
Build out the Gander team. That includes hiring engineers to scale features, trust & safety staff to keep the platform healthy, and partnerships leads to support creators and institutions. These will be good, Canadian jobs that are paid fairly and with benefits.
Develop key features. This includes creator monetization tools, verified accounts, and moderation systems that are guided by our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We’re also expanding the platform’s capacity to support organizations and creators through Wingspan, our sovereign server offering.
Strengthen operations. A portion of the funds will support responsible scaling — ensuring legal, HR, and financial systems are robust as we grow.

Every dollar raised brings us closer to a sustainable, independent, and Canadian-owned social media platform. One that’s built not for surveillance or extracting profit, but for connection, community, and trust.

How Does it Work?

Investments are made through FrontFundr, a registered Canadian investment crowdfunding platform. Think Kickstarter, but instead of perks like t-shirts, you actually own a piece of Gander Social Inc. through common shares.

Own a Part of Gander

We’ve worked hard to keep things as simple and accessible as possible.

Here’s how you can invest:

Visit the Page → https://frontfundr.com/gandersocial
Read the Details → Watch the video, review the page, and read the official documents, including our Offering Document and Voting Trust Agreement.
Create an Account on FrontFundr → If you haven’t already done it, it takes about 10 minutes, and it’s free.
Choose Your Investment Amount → Investments start at $255.
Submit Your Investment → It’s all done trough FrontFundr’s secure platform.
Review and Sign → FrontFundr will send the investment documents to your email.
Fund Your Investment → You can fund your investment securely through FrontFundr by credit or debit card, direct deposit, Interac e-Transfer, or wire transfer, depending on what works best for you.

Once approved, you’ll receive confirmation directly from FrontFundr, and you’ll officially own a piece of Gander Social. If you run into any issues, email support@frontfundr.com and they’ll work with you to resolve them.

What if I can’t invest right now?

We understand. Investment isn’t the only way to support. Every message, like, share, or word of encouragement matters. Genuinely.

One of the most helpful things you can do right now is sign-up to test the beta version of the platform with us. We’ve got an in-take form headed to the Early Access Program in short order. It’s getting reviewed right now to make sure it’s equitable and that we’re not asking any questions we don’t need to be.

After all the results and in, we’ll analyse them to make sure our initial Beta testers are representative of the people who call Canada home. From there we’ll begin onboarding in small cohorts (we are talking 200 people at a time).

We’re starting small by design. That goes both for the features you’ll have access to and the number of people who get invited into the beta version of the platform. This is so we can make sure we’re getting things right and that we can grow sustainably.

One last very important thing

Thank you to everyone that’s here with us, in whatever capacity you’re able to be. Gander Social isn’t social if we can’t share it with the people that matter to us. Like Fred Penner says: take good care of each other.

And because our legal team would kick our butts if we didn’t say it…

Investing in exempt market securities is risky. Please refer to frontfundr.com/gandersocial and the Offering Document for this opportunity.