Ever wonder what it's like to move your business from the hustle of London to the laid-back charm of Malta? 🇲🇹

This week, we spotlight an inspiring entrepreneur from Cork who has made waves in the tech world with her innovative company, TrustElevate.com.

Our featured founder began her journey with a PhD at University College Cork, investigating online pedophile activity. She also wrote the book on Know Your Customer (KYC) processes involving children and was the fifth person to join the social networking platform, Bebo.

In an insightful interview, she shares:

• Her move to Malta at the start of the pandemic, inspired by a holiday with her daughter that turned into a life-changing decision. 🏝️

• The mission of TrustElevate, which ensures children's safety and privacy online, driven by a team of global experts. 🌐

• Significant milestones and future visions for TrustElevate.com, including ongoing fundraising and technical trials in Malta. 🚀

• Advice for Irish entrepreneurs looking to start their own ventures, highlighting the importance of passion and perseverance. 💡

Enjoy ☕️

Dr Rachel O'Connell Snapshot🤳

Tell me about yourself, where you are from, and why you moved to Malta?

I'm originally from Cork. My PhD, which I started at University College Cork, focused on investigating pedophile activity on the internet and its implications for investigative strategies. I'm also the technical author of what have become global standards for how you do know your customer (KYC) processes for under eighteens.

I moved to Malta at the beginning of the pandemic. I initially came here on a little holiday with my grown-up daughter. She suggested I stay in Malta rather than return to London. I decided to try it out, so I Airbnb'd a place and fell in love with Malta. The pace of life here is so much more relaxed compared to London. In London, I had to navigate the stress of commuting and long work hours. Malta has offered me a much better quality of life, especially during the pandemic when remote work became the norm for digital nomads, and my daughter visits regularly.

What has it been like setting up a business in Malta? Is there much of an Irish community there?

Malta is a beautiful island with wonderful, funny people, making it easy to integrate. However, the bureaucracy can be a huge challenge and requires a considerable amount of perseverance. The Irish community here is fantastic and very supportive. For example, on Bloomsday, we had an event at the prestigious Phoenica Hotel with the Irish Ambassador and an incredible choir from Maynooth. It was a wonderful networking opportunity, and we all moved to a nearby bar afterward! The Irish community here is brilliant.

What is TrustElevate, what is your mission?

Trust Elevate verifies children's ages, and for young children, we verify parental responsibility, for example, for a 4-year-old so a parent or guardian can act on behalf of their child to ensure that online platforms respect their child’s right to a safe online expense. This service is crucial for social media, gaming, streaming, EdTech, MedTech, banks, and FinTechs to ensure compliance with data protection laws, the new EU Digital Services Act and Ireland’s Online Safety Act, designed to enhance child safety online and privacy of children's data.

Our mission is to create a safer internet for children and young people, stemming from my background in investigating online pedophile activity. We aim to prevent tech-enabled abuse of children by ensuring platforms reliably know the ages of their users.

📖 Read more: Why Multi-Factor Age Verification (MFAV) is Key in a World of Evolving Threats and Protecting Children Online.

How big is the company, and can you tell us about your team?

We have nine people on board and outsource some work to developers in Ukraine and India. Our team has deep expertise in various areas. For example, our CISO, David Clarke, is one of the world's recognized experts in GDPR and security.

What are some of the challenges have you faced so far, and what is your vision for TrustElevate in the future?

It's been a lot of work to move the needle, often feeling like herding cats. Many platforms and mobile operators claim not to process kids' data until they answer a few key questions. There's also a perception that protecting children online is too hard due to complex family and living situations.

My vision is that in three to five years, we'll look back and wonder how we ever let kids go online without proper protections. The head of Google accounts, Filip Verley, describes the next era of the internet as age-aware and consent-driven, which aligns with our goals.

You’ve been going for over seven years now. What are some of your most memorable milestones to date?

One of our key milestones was in 2016, when we built our MVP and developed a technical architecture focused on privacy preservation. We designed it to be zero-knowledge, ensuring that we don't hold any data belonging to children or parents.

Since the introduction of GDPR's Article 8 in 2018, companies have been required to verify the ages of their users. It took two years for this requirement to be enforced. During this period, regulators investigated companies and imposed fines. Subsequently, fined companies took another two years to appeal these penalties at the European Court of Justice. Only now are companies shifting their mindsets from avoiding this to accepting that they must comply. This is where the value of our solution comes into play.

Can you tell me your plans for TrustElevate in the next few years? What are your biggest priorities?

We're currently fundraising £1.5 million to scale the company. We're also running large-scale technical trials in Europe to evaluate different methods for age assurance. Additionally, we're partnering with companies committed to protecting kids online and working with Deloitte to demonstrate the trust metrics that can improve business outcomes.

Who are some of the people who helped you or inspired you on your Entrepreneurial journey so far?

People like Julie Inman Grant in Australia and Niamh Hodnett in Ireland have been instrumental in pushing for standards and laws around age verification. The Collison brothers, of course, are fantastic. I met them at Paddy Cosgrove's Web Summit and was truly impressed by them.

📖 Read more: Social media age restrictions may push children online in secret.

What advice do you have for Irish people looking to start a business?

Find something you're truly passionate about because perseverance and patience are crucial. Surround yourself with smart, supportive people who believe in your mission. It's important to take feedback constructively and not take rejections personally, constructive criticism is your friend.

You used to be CISO at Bebo and were the fifth person to join the social networking platform? Can you tell us a bit about that?

Working for Bebo was an incredible journey. My first encounter with Michael Birch, Bebo's co-founder, was on the BBC Breakfast News couch. I was there as an internet safety expert, and Michael was also being interviewed. The interviewer, Dermot Murnaghan, was navigating the unfamiliar terrain of social media, a term that was still new and unfamiliar at that time.

During the interview, Michael shared some of Bebo's existing safety features, and I suggested additional measures they could implement. After that interview, Michael asked if I wanted to join Bebo to help enhance their safety protocols. It was an exciting offer that I couldn't refuse.

The camaraderie and sense of pioneering new ground were palpable. We were building the first content platform and an app platform, while Facebook was just starting to gain traction.

Being part of a startup like Bebo was incredibly exhilarating. There was a lot of learning involved, and you had to be ready to face and navigate uncharted territory. The experience was filled with innovation, teamwork, and the excitement of contributing to something new and impactful in the social media space.

Finally, what does being an Irish Founder Abroad mean to you?

I'm very proud to be Irish and always connect with other Irish people wherever I go. Being abroad allows me to help other Irish founders with regulatory and compliance knowledge. I believe in creating companies that offer a work-life balance, enabling people to work from anywhere.