A听messaging app built on the decentralised Matrix protocol听has听raised听拢22 million.听
Matrix is an open-source project for end-to-end encrypted communications which听has grown 190% in the last 12 months, with more than 35m addressable users and over 75,000 deployments.听
Element, the flagship secure collaboration and messaging app for Matrix,听raised the听Series B funding from Protocol Labs听鈥撎齮he听creators of libp2p, IPFS听and听Filecoin听鈥撎齛nd听Metaplanet,听the investment fund set up by Jaan Tallinn, co-founder of Skype.听听
Automattic and Notion are also participating in the round, increasing their investments in Element from Series A funding which also included听firstminute听Capital and Dawn Capital.听
Element recently renewed its contract with the French government, providing collaboration and messaging targeting 5.5m听civil servants throughout France.听听
It has also signed new contracts with听Dataport, which sees widespread use of Element in Germany鈥檚 education and public administration systems – and with BWI, supplying the official secure communication system for the entirety of the German armed forces.听听
Element鈥檚 work with the US and UK governments also continues to grow,听while it听has more than 10 engagements in progress with other governments.听
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鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted to have been in a position to choose two more mission-driven investors who back companies that will improve the internet to benefit humankind,鈥� said听Amandine Le Pape, COO, Element and听co-founder of Matrix.听听
鈥淧rotocol Labs and听Metaplanet听invest in the long-term, and truly believe in open source and the decentralised web.鈥�听
Skype co-founder Jaan Tallinn, who leads听Metaplanet, adds: 鈥淲hen communication is centralised it becomes a very appealing target for abuse; whether that鈥檚 through propaganda, surveillance, censorship or worse.听听
鈥淐onsumers need rescuing from surveillance capitalism, and organisations need a secure neutral way to communicate.听 Matrix is the most advanced platform to provide that missing communication layer.鈥�听
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Juan Benet, CEO, Protocol Labs, said: 鈥淚nternet communication protocols have become fundamental for humanity. Today, most messaging happens over fickle proprietary centralized walled gardens who hold us hostage to their short-term business outlook.听听
鈥淢atrix is a beacon of hope: an open network for secure, decentralised communication, built with sound internet infrastructure principles. Element听鈥撎齜oth听product and company听鈥撎齟mpowers听organisations with control, ownership, and a great user experience for all their conversations.鈥�听
Germany鈥檚 entire healthcare system will adopt Matrix-based real time communications, which will see more than 150,000 organisations and over 80m German citizens using Matrix.听
鈥淓lement鈥檚 funding means there鈥檚 continued significant investment in the Matrix protocol, which hugely benefits the entire Matrix ecosystem,鈥� said听Matthew Hodgson, CEO of Element and Technical听co-founder of Matrix.听
鈥淢atrix is completely disruptive – it鈥檚 the communication layer of the open web. Matrix will do for communications what the web did for information sharing. And just like the web, it鈥檚 an open standard, decentralised, and universal.鈥�听
There are now more than 150 Matrix-based apps on the radar听鈥撎齬anging听from open source to commercial proprietary solutions. There is also a series of Matrix-based startups, such as听Famedly听and Beeper.听听
Consulting and services companies including Thales, Ericsson,听Dataport听and Sopra Steria have also set up units focused specifically on Matrix-based solutions.听鈥淩ight听now听the early adopters of Matrix are governments, security conscious businesses and privacy-aware consumers,鈥� said听Hodgson. 鈥淭he additional investment in Matrix will see development that鈥檒l attract the mainstream. We see Matrix being the universal foundation for all future communications.鈥�听
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