CNDO is a new ‘challenge-based’ social networking app for creators and fans

Tim Schaecker, a TikToker with 8.8 million followers and a member of the German boy band Elevator Boys, officially launched today a new social networking app in an effort to encourage other content creators to connect with their communities in a deeper way and rethink social media and the creator economy.

CNDO (pronounced “condo”) enables content creators to create private social rooms for their followers to engage in a community-wide group chat, participate in challenges and get exclusive updates from their favorite influencers.

The challenge feature is the central focal point of the platform, as CNDO believes working on a common goal can help strengthen connections with people online. For instance, creators can encourage their followers to build healthy fitness habits and share daily updates about their workouts with each other. So not only are fans bonding over their favorite influencer, but they’re also learning about each other as individuals, exploring new things and creating genuine friendships. The company also hopes the challenges incentivize users to keep coming back to the app, allowing for a healthy app retention rate.

“As the creator, I am not in the middle of the spotlight,” Schaecker told TechCrunch. “I’m more of a community member, and that is what [CNDO] is all about. We want to focus on the end-user, on getting better together with those challenges and focusing on the possibility of meeting like-minded people.” Although Schaecker is mainly known for posting lip syncs and dancing videos on the internet, his CNDO club is dedicated to other passions like reading, fashion and going to the gym.

At launch, there are 11 creators on CNDO, including surfers Sophia Chiara and Shane (@shane_dk), as well as influencers in the sports, ASMR and beauty space like Jannes Werner, Jannis Reichmuth and Lukas Müller, among others. There isn’t a follower count requirement to create a community on CNDO. However, the company says creators must pitch their “concept strategy,” and CNDO determines whether they are a right fit for the platform.

Creators have the option to gate those communities and certain experiences through a monthly subscription. CNDO takes a 20% commission.

Future plans for CNDO include launching a main community to unite all users to congregate in one place, discover new influencers and participate in more challenges. There will also be opportunities for creators to collaborate with brands. For example, a sneaker brand can get direct access to a running-focused chat room and interact with real customers.

Schaecker started his TikTok career while studying business administration at the University of Mannheim, with his long-term goal being to create a tech startup. Schaecker developed CNDO with his two co-founders, Kian Seifert and Jordi Walder, who studied business and data science, respectively. CNDO launched its beta in October with 820 users, touting a waiting list of upwards of 5,000 people.

In May 2023, the startup secured $1 million in pre-seed funding, backed by notable angels like German pop singer Sarah Connor, Presize founder Leon Szeli (acquired by Meta), Wefox founder Julian Teicke, leading McKinsey senior partners and more.

The remaining members of the Elevator Boys are also among the list of investors, including Bene Schulz, Jacob Rott, Julien Brown and Luis Freitag (who will all eventually launch their own communities on CNDO). While it started as a group TikTok account among friends in 2021, the Elevator Boys are now an official music group, recently releasing their first official single, Runaway, which now has 2.7 million listens on Spotify. They also co-founded Kabu, an artist management company.