Threads. Mastodon. Bluesky. Substack Notes. Post. Nostr. Spoutible. Following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the text-based social network previously known as Twitter, numerous competitors have emerged. Now you can include another startup in that lineup: Lyrak, a new competitor that sets itself apart by prioritizing real-time news and monetization choices for creators, just like X. However, Lyrak also incorporates fediverse integrations, similar to Instagram’s Threads.
The fediverse is a network of interconnected servers powered by the social networking protocol ActivityPub, creating an open-source social network. Among the federated social apps, Mastodon stands out as the most popular. However, even Meta has recognized the changing landscape of the web and developed its latest social network, Threads, with a focus on integrating with ActivityPub.
With Lyrak, our goal is to merge the strengths of Twitter with ActivePub integration, enabling users to engage with a broader audience on various federated social networks, such as Mastodon and others. 
The integration is not currently active, but the team plans to start working on it in a few months. Once operational, Lyrak users will have the ability to view posts from Mastodon users, and vice versa.
Established by Rishi Siva, a web designer and marketer from London, Lyrak takes its name from Lyra, a prominent character in the TV series “His Dark Materials.” Siva mentions that Lyra explores uncharted realms, which, due to Lyrak’s shared ambition to create a brighter future, appeared to be a valuable source of motivation.
The founder came up with the idea after gaining experience helping small businesses establish profitable websites and attract customers online. At one point, Siva developed an app similar to Thumbtack, but the COVID-19 pandemic hindered its growth by preventing many local tradespeople from working.
However, he has a strong passion for assisting users in maximizing their online content and skills for financial gain.
Siva emphasizes, “Our lower fees and our practice of sharing 50% of ad revenue with creators reinforce our commitment to our goal.”
In contrast, X does not disclose its percentage publicly, as it can fluctuate depending on various factors such as the type of post, demographics, geography, and other variables. In addition, revenue is generated solely from ads displayed to verified users, who are paid subscribers.
Siva is dissatisfied with X’s current trajectory and the impact it has on creators.
After Musk assumed control of Twitter, there was a noticeable shift in the platform’s behavior and the accounts it prioritized for promotion. It’s disheartening to observe that the tech leaders I hold in high regard have overlooked this matter and continue to utilize Twitter [X],” he remarked, highlighting the concerns regarding far-right groups and antisemitic content on X’s platform.
Nevertheless, he acknowledges that Twitter/X continues to be the preferred platform for up-to-the-minute news, which is why it retains its popularity among users despite the alterations. Threads, on the other hand, is not focusing on up-to-the-minute news beyond sports; Siva describes it as “essentially an Instagram in text form.”
He believes that Mastodon and Bluesky might prove to be too complex for everyday users, but Lyrak could potentially benefit from integrating with their networks through fediverse integrations. From a technical standpoint, Bluesky and Mastodon are not federated due to their use of different protocols. (However, efforts are underway to establish connections between the two platforms.)
Lyrak aims to prioritize attracting journalists to join its network, which will greatly contribute to its goal of becoming a real-time social app. In order to appeal to them, Lyrak will enable verified journalists to distribute content to users’ home feeds according to their interests. Additionally, Lyrak will provide tools to send notifications to individuals who frequently click on their links. (The latter is comparable to Artifact—RIP — which would notify users about new articles from reporters and writers they followed.)
The startup aims to appeal to individuals who specialize in selling digital products and will be introducing specific tools tailored to their needs in the coming month of May. Creators can now provide subscriptions and tips to their followers.
In May, we plan to release AI tools like an answer engine and user-generated AI characters.
The company aims to generate revenue through ads, similar to X, as well as by earning a 10% share from paid posts, subscriptions, tips, digital products, and other AI features gradually.
Lyrak’s website implements a clever workaround that allows users to conveniently deposit funds directly into the app, thereby compensating creators. (Please note that funds added through in-app purchases will be subject to Apple’s 30% fee.)
Platforms like Reddit inspire another concept that involves implementing a reputation score to measure a user’s contribution to the community. This score would consider factors such as comments, reposts, likes, and the ability to invite others to join the platform. The team guarantees the safety of the app by combining AI moderation efforts with human moderators.
“After our initial launch and a couple of weeks of bug fixes, we intend to consistently roll out new features,” Siva stated. Being a startup, building a social app gives us the advantage of having a fresh perspective on things. We have a forward-thinking mindset that enables us to constantly innovate and develop features that genuinely enhance the user experience.
A team of five individuals, most based in London, is developing Lyrak. The fifth person will also be relocating to London soon. Currently, the startup is self-funded and available for download on iOS.
