Who Owns Proton Mail?
Proton Mail is owned by Proton AG, a Swiss technology company controlled by the non-profit Proton Foundation. Founded in 2014 by Andy Yen, Jason Stockman, and Wei Sun at CERN, Proton Mail operates as an independent private company under Swiss privacy laws. The service is not publicly traded and maintains foundation ownership to protect its privacy mission.
Parent Company
Proton AG
Founded
2014
Status
Private
Headquarters
Geneva, Switzerland
Who Owns Proton Mail?
- Parent Company: Proton AG
- Ownership Type: Wholly owned
- Company Type: Privately Held
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| Proton Mail | Proton AG | Wholly owned |
History of Proton Mail
- Founded: 2014
- Founders: Andy Yen, Jason Stockman, Wei Sun
Proton Mail was founded in 2014 by Andy Yen, Jason Stockman, and Wei Sun while working as researchers at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. The founders were concerned about internet privacy and government surveillance following the 2013 Snowden revelations and wanted to create secure communication tools.
The service entered public beta in May 2014 and immediately experienced overwhelming demand, requiring temporary signup restrictions to expand server capacity. In summer 2014, Proton Mail conducted a successful crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, raising $550,377 from 10,576 donors.
Throughout 2015-2016, Proton Mail developed its platform, releasing version 2.0 with a rewritten codebase and version 3.0 which officially launched the service out of beta. The company expanded its services with Proton VPN in 2017, Proton Calendar in 2020, and Proton Drive cloud storage in 2022.
In April 2024, Proton acquired SimpleLogin, an email aliasing service, and established the Proton Foundation as the controlling shareholder. The company rebranded from "ProtonMail" to "Proton Mail" in May 2022 to reflect its expanded service portfolio beyond just email.
About Proton AG
Who owns Proton AG?
Since June 2024, the controlling shareholder of Proton AG has been the non-profit Proton Foundation. The Foundation was established to ensure Proton maintains its privacy-focused mission over the long term. Andy Yen serves as CEO. Proton AG is not publicly traded.
Is Proton Mail truly private?
Proton Mail uses end-to-end encryption, meaning that Proton itself cannot read the content of users' emails. However, Proton can be compelled by Swiss courts to provide metadata (such as IP addresses) for specific accounts. Proton does not log IP addresses by default but can be ordered to begin logging for specific accounts. Users seeking maximum anonymity should use Proton via Tor.
When was Proton AG founded?
Proton AG was founded in 2014 by Andy Yen, Jason Stockman, and Wei Sun while they were researchers at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland.
What services does Proton offer?
Proton offers Proton Mail (encrypted email), Proton VPN (secure VPN), Proton Drive (encrypted cloud storage), Proton Calendar (encrypted calendar), Proton Pass (password manager), and SimpleLogin (email aliasing).
Is Proton AG publicly traded?
No, Proton AG is privately held and controlled by the non-profit Proton Foundation. The company is not publicly traded.
- Founded: 2014
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
- Company Type: Privately Held
Where Is Proton Mail Made / Based?
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
- Manufacturing / Operations: Switzerland (data centers), Germany (data centers), Norway (data centers)
Proton Mail Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Swiss jurisdiction providing world-class privacy protection
- +Foundation-controlled ownership ensuring long-term privacy mission
- +End-to-end encryption with zero-knowledge architecture
- +Open-source code allowing public security audits
- +Integrated privacy suite with multiple complementary services
Considerations
- -Smaller feature set compared to mainstream email providers
- -Subscription costs for premium features and storage
- -Learning curve for users unfamiliar with encryption concepts
- -Limited integration with some third-party services
- -Smaller market share compared to Google, Microsoft, and Apple
Frequently Asked Questions About Proton Mail
Competitors to Proton Mail
These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.
| Brand | Parent Company | Country | Founded | Market Position | Primary Market | Gender Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signal Foundation | USA | 2014 | Mass Market | North America | All Genders |
Competitive Analysis
Market Positioning: Proton Mail competes with 1 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.
Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.
Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.
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