SafeGuard Privacy

SafeGuard Privacy, founded in 2018 by Richy Glassberg and Wayne Matus, operates as a business-to-business Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider in the privacy compliance sector. The company offers a platform designed to help businesses navigate the complex landscape of global privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA.

The firm's client base includes publishers, agencies, brands, data providers, and technology platforms. It generates revenue through its compliance management and collaboration platform, which automates privacy assessments and audits. This service aims to reduce compliance costs and improve efficiency for its users, with some reporting gains as high as 80%. The platform is purpose-built for companies that use consumer data, with specific solutions for advertisers, publishers, AdTech, MarTech, data partners, and healthcare organizations.

Co-founder and CEO Richy Glassberg is a digital media veteran with experience leading seven startups and co-founding the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). His background includes roles at CNN.com, MTVN, and News Corp. Co-founder Wayne Matus has an extensive legal background in privacy and information law, having served as a Managing Director at UBS AG and a Partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman. Their combined expertise in digital advertising and privacy law underpins the company's strategic direction.

The core offering is a compliance platform that provides comprehensive, independent assessments of a company's privacy programs. Key features include workflow management tools, customizable policy templates, automated gap analysis, and real-time reporting. The platform also offers a Vendor Compliance Hub to streamline third-party risk management. A notable milestone for the company was its partnership with the IAB to launch the IAB Diligence Platform, standardizing vendor due diligence for the digital advertising industry. The company has also integrated with organizations like the Institute for Advertising Ethics (IAE) and formed partnerships with major entities such as TransUnion.

The company is venture capital-backed, having raised a total of $11.4 million over three funding rounds. A significant Series A round in August 2022 brought in $7.3 million, followed by a $3.6 million round in July 2024, with investors including TechOperators, Dynamism Capital, and Sidekick Partners. These funds are allocated towards enhancing its legal AI, developing next-generation Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), and expanding its service partnerships.

Keywords: privacy compliance, SaaS, data protection, regulatory technology, adtech, vendor management, risk mitigation, data governance, GDPR compliance, CCPA compliance