Company: Proton
Founder and CEO: Andy Yen
Website: https://proton.me/
About Proton
Proton was founded in 2014 by scientists who first crossed paths at CERN, united by a bold vision for an internet where freedom and privacy always come first. Crowdfunded by more than 10,000 supporters, Proton has grown into a global leader in the privacy technology space, offering secure, open-source tools including Proton Mail, VPN, Drive, and Pass. From the start, Proton’s mission has been to make privacy and secure communication accessible to all users.
During its journey to becoming a global privacy pioneer, Proton faced major challenges in building a privacy-focused company in a world dominated by data exploitation. It achieved this by structuring itself under the non-profit Proton Foundation, ensuring that people and privacy remain at the heart of the organisation.
Today, millions of users rely on Proton’s suite of tools to take control of their data, from private communication and secure storage to password management. Proton Mail has become the world’s largest encrypted email service, and is currently trusted by over 100 million users, including journalists and activists. Proton VPN spans across servers in over 120 countries and was ranked Wired’s 2025 ‘Best VPN for Privacy.’ Proton Drive provides end-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Switzerland, enabling users to back up files on the cloud and access them at any time, anywhere. Proton Pass helps generate strong passwords, save unlimited logins, and autofill credentials. All of Proton’s tools are fully end-to-end encrypted, ensuring the highest standards of privacy for its users.
Proton’s approach goes above and beyond regulatory compliance, treating privacy as a fundamental right. By embedding privacy into its technology and business model, Proton has set a new industry standard, challenging the culture of data exploitation. Its work has been recognised by the United Nations, underscoring its global significance.
Continuing this mission, Proton recently launched Lumo, a private AI assistant built on ethical principles. Unlike Big Tech AI, Lumo keeps no logs of user interactions, ensuring chats cannot be shared, seen, or used to build profiles. Its fully open-source code allows anyone to verify that it is private, secure, and never trained on user data, demonstrating that innovation and privacy can coexist.
Proton’s influence extends beyond its products. The company champions technical excellence, integrity, and transparency, inspiring others in the industry to prioritise people over profit. Its success proves technology can serve the public good while protecting fundamental freedoms.
Proton continues to advance the belief that privacy is essential for a better world. Its tools safeguard millions of users while advocating for freedom of information, freedom of speech, and digital sovereignty. By maintaining independence, transparency, and a commitment to the public good, Proton demonstrates that the internet can be both secure and private. Its journey from a crowdfunded initiative to a global privacy leader illustrates the transformative power of putting people and privacy first.
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