ZenMate is an internet security solution provider led by founder and CEO Simon Specka. The company offers a free, device-agnostic platform that encrypts browser traffic, hides users' real locations, unblocks geo-restrictions, and provides WiFi/hacker security to protect user privacy. Its products are available on Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, iOS and Android, with other products planned for the future. ZenMate says it is used by several million users across 180 countries. The company aims to develop new products and expand global adoption of its offering. ZenMate offers a VPN-style private browsing suite that encrypts web traffic and routes it through its network of servers to hide users' IP addresses and locations. The product is available as desktop extensions for Chrome, Opera and Firefox and as mobile apps for iOS and Android. The desktop version is free with unlimited browsing; mobile uses a freemium model (500 MB cap for free users) and a paid subscription that adds unlimited browsing, data compression and harmful-site blocking. Launched 18 months prior to the article, ZenMate had grown to 5 million users (up from 1 million after six months) and counts the U.S., UK and Germany as key markets. The company faces consumer VPN competitors including Privax (Hide My Ass), AnchorFree (Hotspot Shield), TunnelBear and CyberGhost. Investors Shortcut Ventures and T-Venture are noted as potentially providing inroads into the mobile space via connections to German telcos E-Plus and Deutsche Telekom. ZenGuard, founded in 2013 by Simon Specka and Markus Hanel, builds the ZenMate browser plug-in which encrypts outgoing and incoming traffic to protect user privacy. The company is based in Berlin, Germany. Its core product is a privacy-focused browser extension that secures users' internet connections. ZenGuard plans to use newly raised funds for technical development, creation of new products and hiring additional staff. The startup has previously received support from the Axel Springer Plug & Play Accelerators. Recent investors include Project A Ventures and several angel backers.

Total raised

$3M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Oct 2014