Mozilla Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the creation of free software.
The news was released recently that Mark Surmann, executive director of the Mozilla Foundation, ad via a blog post the creation of “Mozilla Ventures”, a venture fund that it will invest in startups that promote products and technologies that are in line with Mozilla's ideals and aligned with the Mozilla Manifesto
Remember that during the first half of 2020, Mozilla had already expanded its Builders program as a kind of formal incubator for small start-ups. The objective or motto of the program, which was already given at the time, is "Fix the Internet." Mozilla is now staying true to that with the venture capital fund, which is significantly better equipped financially.
Mark Surman explains:
“Many people think that the technology industry has lost its soul. Some even consider it impossible to change them for the better. My answer to this is: how will we know if we don't try it together? Mozilla Ventures is about promoting companies and products that put people first, not profit. And it's about promoting enough companies and products that we can ultimately change the internet for the better."
Be supposed to Mozilla Ventures won't officially go live until next year, 2023. But the company has already announced investments in three startups. These are Secure AI Labs (SAIL), which creates artificial intelligence and security technology to better protect and manage patient data, the Block Party app, which enables victims of cyberbullying to stay active on social media, and Hey Login, a Swipe-to-login application, which is a password management solution.
Per the Mozilla manifest part, Among the values that startup teams must share are confidentiality, inclusion, transparency, accessibility for people with disabilities and respect for human dignity.
Examples of eligible startups include Secure AI Labs (a unified patient registry for collaboration in medical research), Block Party (an inappropriate comment blocker for Twitter), and heylogin (a password manager that uses phone verification instead of a master password).
Personally, I believe that it is possible to build successful companies, and great Internet products, that put people before profit. Mozilla proves it. But so do ProtonMail, Hugging Face, Kickstarter and many others. Everyone is creating products and technology that respect users and are making the Internet a healthier place.
I think if we have A LOT more founders building companies like these, we have a real opportunity to push the internet, and the tech industry, in a better direction.
The principles reflected in the manifest are:
- The Internet is an integral part of modern life, a key component in education, communication, collaboration, business, entertainment, and the fabric of society as a whole.
- The Internet is a global public resource that must remain open and accessible.
- The Internet should enrich the life of each person.
- The security and privacy of Internet users are of paramount importance and should not be considered secondary considerations.
- People should be able to shape the Internet and their permanence on it.
- The effectiveness of the Internet as a public resource depends on interoperability (protocols, data formats, content), innovation, and decentralization of Internet development work around the world.
- Open source software contributes to the development of the Internet as a public resource.
- Transparent social processes promote cooperation, increase responsibility and trust.
- Commercial participation in the development of the Internet provides great benefits; at the same time, it is important to strike a balance between commercial revenue and public benefit.
- Increasing the public benefit of the Internet is an important task worth spending time and attention on.
Finally, it is worth mentioning, as already mentioned, the fund will begin operating in the first half of 2023 and that the initial investment will be at least $35 million.
If you are interested in knowing more about it, you can consult the details In the following link.