Kin, a privacy-first social network app for families, has launched in the UK, having raised $3.2 million in pre-launch funding, the highest private network raise in Europe ever at the time of launch. The app enters the market with a valuation of $25M.
The Kin app aims to provide an alternative to the predominant social media and messaging platforms that cater to hyper-connectivity and marketing. Families are able to keep in touch, share memories, images and record future messages in a secure closed group, without having to navigate newsfeeds, influencers or unwanted members. Kin has a subscription-based business model, enabling the company to guarantee that it will never sell any user data or engage with advertisers.
Founders Michael Collett and Matt Blom, who identified a need for a social app designed for families, have set a target of 100m users globally by August 2022.
Collett, co-founder and CEO of Kin, said: “Research shows that by the time a child turns 13 parents have already shared an average of 1300 photos of their kids online. By the year 2030, “sharenting” – sharing a child’s photos and personal information online – is predicted to account for two thirds of identity fraud online. So, it’s vital for parents to be aware of what information they are putting online in public and begin to alter their habits. Consumers are now starting to wise up to this and take action – Whatsapp’s loss of millions of users following its privacy policy update in January perfectly encapsulates this change in consumer attitude.
“However, people still want and crave an online space for family and friends to remain connected and create a space of intimacy, especially in the current times when many of us are unable to physically be with the ones we love, they just want their data to be protected and respected.”
With Kin, each family group has access to its own shared space which is only accessible via invitation from the designated group leader or ‘KinPin’. This ensures that all the personal information, data and media are kept completely private. Kin’s features include ‘Future Messages’ which allows families to post messages to their loved ones that can be unlocked at a certain date in the future. This, for example, provides grandparents with a way to communicate with their grandchildren when they are older; keeping memories, personalities and family identities alive for generations.
The Kin app is available to download via the App store or Google Play.
