New Funds for Personal Data App Gener8

London-based company Gener8 has completed a £2m funding round, valuing the personal data ownership and rewards app at £39m. Celebrity past investors Tinie Tempah and Harry Redknapp took part again, as did three backers from TV show Dragons' Den.

In March 2023 the company launched a mobile app through which individuals can track what data a company holds on them, then choose either to keep it private, or monetise it while browsing online. It also announced £5m in investment funding.

The app allows users to browse the web in 'Privacy Mode', and prevent companies from tracking them, or in 'Rewards Mode' which shares their data with Gener8 in return for points which can be exchanged for products, vouchers or donations to charity. To date, the firm has grown to 26 employees.

Founder Sam Jones (pictured), quoted on web site www.bmmagazine.co.uk , explained the purpose and functioning of the app: 'The majority of websites we visit and apps we use place trackers on us to follow our movements and understand our behaviour. These trackers enable tens, and sometimes thousands, of companies to collect our information and they consequently exploit or sell it to make money from our data. But this is our information and at Gener8 we believe people should have a choice to stop this or, even better, to earn from it themselves'. The app reveals what information other apps hold on you. 'So, if for example you connect to Google, we can show you all the data that Google holds on you - every search you've ever made, every YouTube video you've watched, every ad that you've clicked on. It's mind boggling. We can then enable you to delete this data from Google. Or should you choose you can anonymise your data and can earn from it.

'With consumers and regulators all around the world wising up to the extent of online surveillance, personal data management has the potential to be a multi-billion-pound, winner-takes-most global market. As it stands, Gener8 is well-positioned to win this race, and to bring more digital success to the UK'.

Dragons' Den stars, Peter Jones, Touker Suleyman and Tej Lalvani joined new and existing investors in the round, which will be used to expand operations and furhter develop the firm's software.

Web site: www.gener8ads.com .