Love the convenience of e-commerce but feeling iffy about leaving sensitive data all over the online world? Technopreneurs Chris Koch and Chad Stephens have recently unveiled their latest venture Pop!, a new app that enables users to securely store, manage and control their personal online data. .
Popping your data is now quick and secure
Pop! is essentially a personal data wallet where you can store, control and exchange personal details that you give to companies online. Users can auto-fill online forms over multiple pages in one click, while tracking which companies and websites have their data.
In case you were wondering if this means Pop! has all your information, you’d be pleased to know that all data is stored securely on the mobile device (and not by Pop! or in the cloud). It is also protected by PIN code, and can be wiped at any time by you.
The app, which is available for download on Android and IOS systems, is firmly focused on the growing use of mobile devices, which are increasingly being used to purchase goods, make bookings and interact with websites that aren’t optimised for those devices. With the app, users can easily ‘pop’ their data into the online forms of any website.
When dealing with companies that have integrated with Pop!, you can update your details, such as a new credit card or mailing address, and choose to instantly send that new information to each Pop! partner via the app.
The benefits of data popping extends beyond end-users. Businesses can regain the estimated 10 to 25 per cent of revenue lost every year due to poor data quality. Pop! partners are set to include Australian household names in banking, retail, government, travel and e–commerce.
Filling in the gap, one after the other
Entrepreneurs Koch and Stephens are not new to the game. Their previous venture, 1Form, was sold to REA Group earlier this year for $15 million. Building on the experience from their tenancy application system 1Form, the idea for Pop! came when Koch and Stephens identified a key gap in the market.
“For consumers, there is no efficient, trusted way for people to monitor and control their global data footprint and keep it up to date. For businesses, there is no existing method that allows them to maintain their databases in real–time like Pop! does,” said Pop! co-founder and CEO, Chris Koch.
“Think about when you take a holiday — you purchase a ticket, buy travel insurance, book hotels, cars, tours. There are so many forms and with each one you leave a massive data trail with countless companies. We really believe it’s time we start managing our online profiles better, both consumers and businesses alike.”
“It was important for us to have a strong base to start from before we launched,” Koch said. “We learnt a lot from 1Form and we knew what we had to do this time to give Pop! the best chance of succeeding. Pop! has global applications in all industries,” Koch said.
Pop! is advised by some of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs including Carsales founder and CEO, Greg Roebuck.
Koch and Stephens are preparing for a global launch of Pop! in the United States next month, and have already received investor interest.
