monocles - Privacy is not a feature. It is a right. | Secure communication, fair cloud, ethical hardware - monocles offers a digital solution without tracking, without surveillance, without compromise.

Secure communication, fair cloud, ethical hardware - monocles offers a digital solution without tracking, without surveillance, without compromise.

Big tech is tracking you. We don't. monocles offers a digital solution without tracking, monitoring or data sharing. We combine secure software with ethical hardware - operated in the EU, on sustainable infrastructure. Whether it'… Mehr anzeigen

Funding period

28.03.25 - 30.06.25

Realisation

One year implementation time

Website & Social Media

Funding goal: 10,000 €

Infrastruktur sichern: Server, Domains & Wartung, Später: Entwicklung finanzieren: Vollzeitstelle zur Weiterentwicklung von monocles-Anwendungen, Community & Open Source stärken: Honorare für unterstützende Entwickler:innen & Datenschutz-Expert:innen

City

Bremen

What is this project all about?

Your data. Your rules. Your digital future.

monocles is the ethical alternative to the digital services of big tech companies. We offer a fair, secure and environmentally friendly solution for everyday digital life - without surveillance, without tracking, without dependence on US services.

Our mission: privacy, digital sovereignty and sustainable technology for all.
What makes monocles unique?

All-in-one: monocles combines secure software and ethical hardwar

What is the project goal and who is the project for?

monocles offers a fair, secure and ethical digital solution - for anyone who has had enough of surveillance, data theft and non-transparent technology. Our goal is to create a platform where privacy, digital sovereignty and sustainability take center stage.
Our goals for the coming months:

Secure and easy use for all

Development of a new, user-friendly registration and login logic, including integration of a payment provider for subscriptions.
Optimization

Why would you support this project?

Because your privacy is non-negotiable.

Every day, our data flows into the hands of big tech companies - analyzed, sold, misused for advertising or politically exploited. The current situation in the US makes it even more dangerous: the Patriot Act and other laws threaten the privacy of citizens worldwide. Most of the digital services we use are not subject to strict EU data protection laws - but to US surveillance laws.

monocles is the answer: an independen… Mehr anzeigen

How will we use the money if the project is successfully funded?

In short: 100% of the money goes directly into building monocles - for secure digital services, better scaling and long-term independence.

In order to make monocles available to thousands of users, we need a financial basis to sustainably expand our infrastructure and development.

Financing requirements - where does the money go?

Infrastructure & hosting (15%) - €10,000
Server and maintenance costs, domains & hosting
✅ Security & backup solutions fo… Mehr anzeigen

Who are the people behind the project?

Hi, I'm Arne from Bremen and I founded monocles. While studying electrical engineering, I learned a lot about the importance of data protection and security in the digital world. During my work as a student assistant in an environmental science laboratory, I also learned about the environmental damage caused by the increasing energy consumption of new technologies, servers and also for the production of new smartphones and other everyday technical devices.… Mehr anzeigen

monocles

Arne-Brün Vogelsang

What are the sustainable development goals of this project?

Primary sustainable development goal

Climate action

Why does this project contribute to this goal?

By using only renewable energies, servers and server components that will also be manufactured again in the future, as well as refurbished, fully functional smartphones and laptops, and by ensuring the highest possible security and privacy for online services and devices, I always try to pursue ethical goals and principles with monocles.

This project also pays toward those goals

Innovation & infrastructure

Cooperations

Startup Prize Bridge Campus Ideas 2022

Finally, in 2022, monocles won second prize in the business concepts category and was thus able to find further good contacts and motivation in addition to the prize money. Thanks to the Bridge team at the University of Bremen!

LEMEX - Study project University of Bremen

In 2024, monocles was founded twice by a study project of the Chair for SMEs, Business Start-ups and Entrepreneurship at the University of Bremen and was thus able to concretize its goals.

XMPP Standards Foundation

The monocles founder has been an official member of the XMPP Standards Foundation since 2023 and a board member since 2024. Arne is always in touch with the latest improvements to the messaging protocol.

Startup Prize Bridge Campus Ideas 2021

Back in 2021, monocles won the first audience award and a special prize in the business ideas category. This gave the idea the tailwind to pursue, implement and improve it further.

Startup Prize Bridge Campus Ideas 2022

LEMEX - Study project University of Bremen

In 2024, monocles was founded twice by a study project of the Chair for SMEs, Business Start-ups and Entrepreneurship at the University of Bremen and was thus able to concretize its goals.

Teilen und Projektreichweite erhöhen

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Tag @startnext in your posts.