tenCube
TenCube enables its users to remotely lock and track down a lost device, retrieve a copy of the data securely, and remotely wipe off data.
tenCube, a Singapore-based mobile security firm, was established in 2005 by National University of Singapore (NUS) graduates Darius Cheung, Varun Chatterji, Rishi Israni, and Indradeep Biswas. The founders' journey was significantly shaped by their experiences within the NUS ecosystem; Cheung and Chatterji, for instance, participated in a year-long entrepreneurial internship in Silicon Valley through the NUS Overseas Colleges program, which ignited their drive. The company received crucial early-stage incubation support, mentorship, and market linkages from NUS Enterprise.
The initial funding for tenCube came from a S$30,000 prize after winning the Start-up@Singapore business plan competition in 2006, which served as their seed money. This was followed by a seed round from NUS Venture Support. The company's core business centered on addressing the security risks associated with mobile phone loss. Its flagship product, WaveSecure, was launched in 2007. This service catered to individual mobile phone users, providing a suite of features to protect data and privacy on lost or stolen devices.
WaveSecure allowed users to remotely lock their phones, track their location via GPS, back up personal data like contacts and messages to a secure server, and completely wipe all information from the device, including the memory card. A key feature was its ability to automatically lock the phone and send an SMS alert to a pre-designated 'buddy' if a new SIM card was inserted. The business model relied on subscriptions to the WaveSecure service, which was initially offered for free during its beta period to attract users. In a landmark achievement, tenCube was acquired by the global security software giant McAfee in August 2010. Following the acquisition, the tenCube team and its technology were integrated into McAfee's Consumer, Mobile, and Small Business unit to bolster its mobile security platform.
Keywords: tenCube, WaveSecure, mobile security, data protection, anti-theft, remote wipe, remote lock, location tracking, data backup, McAfee acquisition, Darius Cheung, Rishi Israni, Varun Chatterji, Singapore startup, NUS Enterprise, mobile device management, phone security, data privacy, SIM change alert, consumer security