Proton is a Geneva-based startup founded by former CERN worker and internet privacy advocate Andy Yen. It provides internet users with encrypted webmail, calendar, drive, and VPN services.
Proton maintains its pro-privacy ethos using a Swiss VPN, protected by strict Swiss privacy laws. In essence, it has established a connection between the personal and the political, smartly utilising the country’s national laws to benefit people and organisations globally. Proton also funds charities and movements such as the World Wide Web Foundation and Netblocks, further cementing it as an influential NGO.
Perhaps Proton’s most important quality is its determination to maintain independence from advertisers and companies. Originally founded on donations, Proton has funded itself via grants rather than venture capital so that all of its customer's data is never at risk of being mined. One effect of this is that to keep up with the increasing competition in the data privacy sector, Proton has expanded its services to allow more cross-selling and simultaneously has more products to offer, such as drive and calendar privacy.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
