Brian Acton, the co-founder of the popular messaging app WhatsApp, is investing $50 million in Signal. This is according to a blog post making the announcement.
Acton said in the post: “Our plan is to pioneer a new model of technology nonprofit focused on privacy and data protection for everyone, everywhere.”
Acton left WhatsApp and parent company Facebook in September of last year. Facebook acquired his company in 2014 for $19 billion.
The app uses end-to-end encryption, meaning only the sender and recipient can read the messages. It prevents third parties from intercepting your texts. Signal also provides a solution for other companies to build secure communications into their apps.
Signal creator Moxie Marlinspike said in the blog post that Signal has never taken venture capital funding or outside investment, and has consistently operated with just two to three full-time software developers.
With the new cash injection, Signal will be able to staff up and provide better experiences for its users, he said.
Acton will join the Signal Foundation as the executive chairman, working in operations and product development.
