Gener8, an innovative free-to-use app designed to empower individuals to control and profit from their data, has successfully concluded a £2 million funding round, valuing the enterprise at £39 million. This funding round saw participation from a diverse consortium of investors, including notable figures such as musician Tinie Tempah, renowned football manager Harry Redknapp, and Dragons’ Den stars Peter Jones, Touker Suleyman, and Tej Lalvani.
Gener8 is spearheading a movement to emphasise the significance of online data protection, a concern resonating across various demographics. The platform transforms online data into tangible rewards, offering users options such as gift cards, gadgets, exclusive offers, and charity donations, akin to frequent flyer miles for internet activity.
Sam Jones, the founder of Gener8, articulated, “The world’s most valuable resource is no longer oil but data, and as a result of this everything that happens online is being tracked. 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.”
Gener8 offers transparency by revealing the data other apps hold on users. It presents this information in a comprehensible format, empowering users to exchange their anonymised data for Gener8 rewards, if they so choose. The app ensures that no data leaves a user’s device or passes through Gener8’s systems without explicit consent, maintaining anonymity and privacy.
The concept of Personal Information Management Systems (PIMS) in academia and government has envisioned a future where individuals can centralize their data. Gener8 has actualised this concept, allowing users to centralise and monetise their data today.
“Think about it. Isn’t it crazy that we don’t even know which companies buy and sell our data? In fact, we don’t even know what data companies hold on us. What do Facebook and Google know about you? Why do spam emails keep landing in your inbox? Well, with the Gener8 app you can connect to different apps and we’ll show the data that these apps hold on you. For example, if 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 earn from it. When we launched the app in 2023 we were the first company in the world to enable people to centralise their data into one location and earn from it.”
Sam Jones – Founder, Gener8
Based in London, Gener8 boasts over one million downloads, with the app being downloaded every 90 seconds. The company has expanded to 26 employees and is poised to become a UK tech unicorn within the decade.
Jones concluded, “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.”
Jones, referred to as delivering ‘the best pitch ever’ on Dragons’ Den, has successfully attracted investment from a host of high-profile individuals, further cementing Gener8’s status as a pioneering force in the tech industry.
