64. YEO Messaging

Founders: Sarah Norford-Jones and Alan E J Jones
Founded: 2017
Website: yeomessaging.com

Businesses can never really be sure of who their employees are talking to online. A spike in cyber crime has given us a new modern lexicon with phrases like ‘copycat websites’ and ‘phishing emails’ becoming a normal part of today’s workforce vernacular.

In this context, YEO Messaging is a startup of our time. Run by a father-daughter team, the secure, private messaging platform authenticates not just the device that receives your message, but also the intended recipient who views it.

YEO’s secret weapon is its patented continuous facial recognition technology, labelled ‘YEO Mode’. When applied, if anyone other than the intended recipient is in the device camera’s view, the content will blur, keeping important documents secure and eliminating the risk of grooming, phishing, or any other form of identity fraud.

The secure, private messaging platform authenticates not just the device that receives your message, but also the intended recipient who views it.

Another arrow in YEO’s quiver is its geofencing tool for users to control where and when they are viewed. Atop the cake, all messages issued through the app are encrypted to ensure they are secured from the moment of sending.

Given society’s chronic online presence, YEO’s applications are almost endless, currently catering for consumer users for free, whilst business users pay a small monthly fee.

So far, the platform is being trialled by healthcare practitioners, insurance professionals, and content producers. The team is also working closely with a children’s online safety company to create a private messaging application for kids.

We might often describe startups as less secure than larger businesses. But as far as we’re concerned, YEO’s future is locked in tightly as an ingenious cybersecure solution that’s servicing unmet business demand.