Privacy firm Proton has announced it has acquired Standard Notes, an encrypted note-taking service.
The Swiss firm is known for its lineup of privacy tools, including a secure email service and a VPN. Now, it looks to be entering the world of productivity apps.
Proton CEO Andy Yen commented in a blog post its end-to-end encryption (E2EE) "really makes Standard Notes complementary to the Proton ecosystem of services, and it is one that we have long used ourselves and are excited to introduce to the Proton community."
Shared values
Standard Notes was founded in 2017 and is available on desktop and mobile, with Proton claiming it is currently used by over 300,000 people. Like Proton's other products, Standard Notes is open source, has a free version, and has no venture capital behind it, having grown independently.
Proton says that the integration of Standard Notes into its ecosystem means that it can develop new features and services at a greater pace. Standard Notes will remain independent, but in the future, its users will be able to access Proton software - and vice versa.
Proton claims that Standard Notes will remain open source, while the free version will remain free and the premium versions will not have their pricing changed. It also says that those with a five-year subscription to Standard Notes can continue on their plan as normal.
Standard Notes CEO Mo Bitar commented, "we are excited to join forces with Proton – one of the few organizations that shares our ethos and is not only mission-driven, but open-sourced, self-sustaining and community focused."
He added, "we're excited to see where joining forces takes us, and what Proton and Standard Notes can achieve together in giving people the tools to take back control over their data, and to think freely and fearlessly.”
