Signal is an encrypted messaging service that prioritizes user privacy and is used by millions. Historically it has operated on a shoestring budget, with few developers ("count them on one hand") and no real office, relying on donations and grants to cover costs. The team has never taken venture capital or sought investment, believing profit-seeking would be incompatible with its mission. Signal has reorganized under a newly created Signal Foundation as a nonprofit, with Signal Messenger remaining its own nonprofit under the Foundation umbrella. WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton has committed $50 million of his own funds to the Foundation to help secure Signal's future. The Foundation aims to pioneer a technology nonprofit focused on privacy and to become financially self-sustaining, with Acton indicating potential future "multiple offerings" that align with the core mission; users should largely see continuity, though roadmap features may arrive sooner.

Total raised

$50M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Feb 2018