PrivacyEngine is a market leader in data protection and privacy management software and solutions, helping businesses and organizations comply with privacy regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA with an unrivaled combination of technology, expertise, and experience. Pulse 2.0 interviewed PrivacyEngine co-founder and CEO Dr. John Ghent to learn more about the company.
Dr. John Ghent’s Background
What is Dr. John Ghent’s background? Dr. Ghent said:
“My journey began in the academic realm, where I pursued and completed my PhD in Computer Science back in 2005. This academic pursuit led to the creation of a start-up directly from my PhD at Maynooth University. Following that entrepreneurial venture, I transitioned into the industry, where I amassed extensive experience as a Solutions Architect and Management Consultant. These roles afforded me a wealth of knowledge in designing and implementing complex systems, as well as strategic planning and problem-solving for various organizations.”
Formation Of PrivacyEngine
How did the idea for the company come together? Dr. Ghent shared:
“The inception of PrivacyEngine was a confluence of expertise and timely observation. Prior to establishing PrivacyEngine, I and two other co-founders, Mike Morrissey and Hugh Jones, were involved with various enterprises across Ireland and the UK. It was during this period that we encountered a myriad of data protection challenges, each unique to the organization’s operations. This experience was enlightening; it became apparent that the prevailing legal-centric approach to data protection was not sufficiently addressing the practical and technical aspects that modern businesses faced.”
“Recognizing this disconnect, we assembled a team of like-minded professionals, each bringing a distinct set of skills to the table. It became increasingly clear that we had identified a significant gap in the market—one that we were uniquely positioned to fill. We created PrivacyEngine—a platform designed to demystify data protection and empower organizations with practical, workable solutions.”
Favorite Memory
What is your favorite memory of working for the company so far? Dr. Ghent reflected:
“There are so many to choose from over the past 10 years. I really like where we are now as so much hard work has gone into positioning us for scale. We have a brilliant team in place now and there is real excitement at the possibilities that are now in front of us. We are also exploring acquisition strategies that can help us scale that are really exciting. It is an exciting time in PrivacyEngine.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Dr. Ghent explained:
“Our flagship product is the PrivacyEngine platform itself, a robust and user-friendly platform that empowers the DPO (Data Protection Officer) and helps companies leverage personal data efficiently and compliantly. There is a free plan available for those interested in having a look at it.”
“Complementing our platform is our suite of managed services partners. In this capacity, we provide trusted partners to act as a Data Protection Officer or advisors for organizations. Our approach is hands-on and tailored; we immerse ourselves in understanding the intricacies of our clients’ operations to offer nuanced guidance and strategic oversight. This dual offering—our innovative platform paired with personalized advisory services—forms the cornerstone of our commitment to empowering companies with the tools and knowledge necessary for robust data protection and helps companies grow with confidence.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Dr. Ghent and the team faced in building the company? Dr. Ghent acknowledged:
“As every entrepreneur will know, there are always challenges to address, particularly for companies who are as ambitious as PrivacyEngine. We used to have four offices, one in Dublin, one in London, one in Stockholm, and one in Frankfurt, and we are now a fully remote business. This change poses challenges that we have overcome by working together as a cohesive team.”
Evolution Of PrivacyEngine’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Dr. Ghent noted:
“The first iteration of PrivacyEngine is vastly different from the current platform. Technology changes very quickly, and this provides us with an opportunity to continuously improve our platform and, therefore, the service that we can provide to our customers.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Dr. Ghent cited:
“Getting over €1 million ARR was an important milestone in the early days. Being recognized by Enterprise Ireland as the High Potential Founder of the Year in 2018 was a standout achievement during our early years as a tech startup.”
Customer Success Stories
After asking Dr. Ghent about customer success stories, he highlighted:
“Customers are at the heart of everything we do here, and thankfully, we have many success stories over the years that I could share. However, the one that we are all immensely proud of is being recognized by G2, a leading, independent software evaluator site, as the leading Data Privacy Management Platform solution in our space was massive. The reason this is so important for me is because it requires everyone in PrivacyEngine to work together to deliver the best customer experience possible, and it is necessary for us to deliver real value to all customers, not just one.”
Funding
When asking Dr. Ghent about the company’s funding details, he revealed:
“We are VC-funded but have not needed to raise more capital since 2018. We believe in running a tight ship and ensuring that every cent we invest delivers customer value. While revenue metrics are crucial, they are not the only criteria by which we assess ourselves.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Dr. Ghent assessed:
“The data protection space is massive and growing at about 40% annually. While we are enterprise-ready and have many enterprise companies, most of our customers are SME and mid-cap companies across every sector. We are on the cusp of a significant boom in the deployment of Data Privacy Management Platforms like PrivacyEngine in the SME sector.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Dr. Ghent affirmed:
“What sets us apart from the competition is our unique combination of a highly experienced team, competitive pricing, and a feature-rich platform. Each member of our team brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in data protection, ensuring that we provide the highest level of service to our clients. Our platform embeds years of Data Protection experience in its searchable risk knowledge base. It integrates workflows, mandatory reporting, learning management, advisory, and collaboration tools that support organization-wide best practice privacy protection.
Additionally, we have a chief researcher and AI (artificial intelligence) specialist who works as a consultant. This individual holds a PhD in Privacy Risk Management Engineering and is the Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) for the European COST Action, boasting over 20 years of experience. Our customers repeatedly tell us that they choose us because we have the technology, the experiences, and the expertise.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Dr. Ghent concluded:
We believe that personal data is essential in driving the world forward. We want to have a positive impact on how companies use personal data globally, and we firmly believe that working together in multidisciplinary teams powered by cutting-edge technology is the only way for companies to use personal data effectively and safely. Our focus is to continue to provide excellent service through our best-in-class platform. We will do this through our continued organic growth but also through acquisitions.
