Surf

Founded in 2018 by Swish Goswami, Surf operates as a consumer data analytics platform with a clear mission: to create a more equitable data economy where users are compensated for their browsing data. The company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Goswami, a recognized young entrepreneur with a background in debating and public speaking, has leveraged his experience to build a company that sits at the intersection of tech, media, and data analytics. His journey includes being named one of Plan Canada's Top 20 Under 20, consulting for companies like Google and American Express, and authoring a book to guide young entrepreneurs.

Surf's core offering is a free browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Safari that allows users to passively earn points for their everyday online activity without altering their browsing habits. This model stands in contrast to services that require users to take surveys or watch ads. The collected data is anonymized and aggregated, with personally identifiable information removed, before being shared with brands. The business generates revenue by providing this anonymized user data to its enterprise clients, which have included major names like Netflix, L'Oréal, Electronic Arts, and Amazon Prime Gaming. This provides brands with high-fidelity, zero-party data to better understand consumer behavior.

For consumers, the platform offers full transparency and control; users can view an activity log of all data shared and manage their preferences at any time. The points earned can be redeemed for gift cards and other items from a marketplace featuring over 60 brands such as Amazon, Lululemon, and UberEats. The company has successfully raised a total of $5.08 million over three seed funding rounds, with notable investors including Moneta Ventures, Round13, Magic Fund, and several angel investors. In February 2025, Surf was acquired by Datacy, and the Surf extension is set to be discontinued on January 1, 2025, with users encouraged to migrate to the Datacy platform.

Keywords: data monetization, browser extension, consumer rewards, zero-party data, passive income, ethical data, consumer analytics, user data platform, brand insights, data economy, Swish Goswami, privacy-first, online rewards, consumer behavior data, ad-free rewards, data transparency, Toronto startup, marketing data, user-controlled data