After a rash of leaks, White House press secretary Sean Spicer reportedly warned White House staffers against using secure messaging apps like Signal (offered by Open Whisper Systems) and Confide (known for self-destructing messages and blocking screenshots). But those aren’t the only such apps available to organizations.
In fact, disappearing and encrypted messaging has a long history, even before the emergence of Snap, which went public at a $24B valuation last today after initially making its name with disappearing photos and text messages. Several early players shuttered their consumer services (such as TigerText, Secret, and Frankly) but recently, even mainstream companies such as Facebook have begun to integrate end-to-end encryption into their messaging.
That said, will increased attention on leaks and encryption push investors toward new encrypted and ephemeral messaging startups?
We used CB Insights to identify eight private companies providing encrypted or self-destructing messages. All startups on this list provide encryption specifically for peer-to-peer messaging. For a broader look at the cybersecurity space, check out our cybersecurity market map highlighting 100+ cybersecurity startups here.
1. Silent Circle
Silent Circle provides software, services, and devices focused on secure messaging to enterprises. The company’s software offering, Silent Phone, promises secure messaging and file transfers for enterprises across iOS and Android devices, with unlimited calls and messaging and the ability to erase messages for senders and receivers at any time. Enterprises can use a web-based management tool. Silent Circle also sells a smartphone — the Blackphone — which runs on the Silent operating system with enhanced security.
Total disclosed funding: $130M
Select investors: Santander InnoVentures, Cain Capital, Ross Perot Jr.
2. Wickr
Wickr offers an encrypted, ephemeral messaging platform for individuals and enterprises. The company provides end-to-end, multi-layered encryption using a unique, patented system. (CB Insights clients can view Wickr’s patents here.) Its services include individual and group messaging, file-sharing, voice messaging, and photo and video messaging. Its messages are also ephemeral, so users can avoid storing too much data and leaving it vulnerable to hacking.
Total disclosed funding: $73.4M
Select investors: Alsop-Louie Partners, Breyer Capital, Juniper Networks, CME Ventures
3. Post-Quantum
Post-Quantum offers a modular cybersecurity platform for enterprises and government agencies, with a focus on financial services companies. Its platform protects text and voice messages using “Never the Same” technology, which uses a different encrypted output each time; its products even claim to offer security against the increased decryption capacity of quantum computers and supercomputers. Post-Quantum also provides a biometric authentication feature, so users can guarantee who they are talking to, and lets users erase messages after they’ve been sent.
Total disclosed funding: $10.4M
Select investors: AM Partners, Barclays Accelerator, VMS Investment Group
4. Confide
Confide offers an ephemeral messaging platform with end-to-end encryption. Confide deletes and wipes the data on its messages after they are read once, and it prevents screenshots through screenshot-blocking technology paired with an interface that only displays a small piece of each message at a time. An add-on feature lets users retract any messages before they have been read.
Total disclosed funding: $3.5M
Select investors: First Round Capital, BoxGroup, Google Ventures, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, CrunchFund
5. Open Whisper Systems
Open Whisper Systems produces the free Signal app, which offers end-to-end ecnryption for text, voice, photo and video messaging for desktop, iOS and Android. The project is open source, and is supported by donations. Signal attracted media attention after an endorsement by Edward Snowden.
Total disclosed funding: N/A
Select investors: N/A
6. Telegram
Telegram is a free cloud-based messaging app for text messages, photos and videos, and file sharing, that can sync across multiple devices. Users can create channels for sharing and groups of up to 5,000 people, which can integrate features such as mentions, replies, and hashtags. While not all of Telegram’s messaging is encrypted, the app offers a Secret Chats feature, which provides end-to-end encryption and self-destruction for messages. Telegram is an open-source project which is funded by donations.
Total disclosed funding: N/A
Select investors: N/A
7. ChatSecure
ChatSecure is a free, open-source encrypted messaging app for iOS. The app supports end-to-end encryption for text messaging, and it can integrate with other services that use the same encryption methodology. ChatSecure can also link to users’ existing chat accounts or Tor accounts. ChatSecure’s source code is hosted openly on GitHub, and the organization accepts PayPal and Bitcoin donations.
Total disclosed funding: N/A
Select investors: N/A
8. Dust
Dust is a free app for encrypted ephemeral messaging. The app lets users send encrypted messages, hide the sender’s identity, set up messages to auto-erase after reading or after twenty four hours, and choose to erase sent messages from the recipient’s phone. While hiding the sender’s identity, the app also notifies the sender if the recipient takes any screenshots.
Total disclosed funding: N/A
Select investors: Mark Cuban
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