Apostrophy AG, which is said to employ 50 people, aims to raise $11 million in funding this year.
A Swiss software startup Apostrophy AG is developing an operating system AphyOS that promises to put privacy first. According to a Bloomberg report, the company will unveil a smartphone operating system this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that could rein in the duopoly of Google and Apple.
AphyOS is built on an open-source version of Android called GrapheneOS. Unlike Google and Apple, the Switzerland-based company plans to charge a subscription fee from vendors who run phones on their software. Its primary customers will be hardware makers and not end-users. Apostrophy AG, which is said to employ 50 people, aims to raise $11 million in funding this year.
“We are a new mobile operating system that allows you to do all the same things you enjoy, demand or have just got used to. We also allow you to retain your privacy, and not have your personal data unwittingly monetised,” the company’s website read.
“Neutral, and principled by nature, we deliver you a safe and honest OS to power your personal tech in a way that puts you first. No sneaky terms & conditions required,” it added.
With this view to prioritize users’ privacy, AphyOS works by segregating apps to prevent tracking user behavior. The OS will support Android apps but will not include Google’s Mobile Services or play store preinstalled.
