Episode Details

The data broker industry generates $500 billion annually selling your information without permission. Valt is building the infrastructure to flip that model, giving users control of their data and the ability to monetize it themselves.

Founder Zac Wickstrom and CCO Jarrett Truett join us to explain why every previous attempt at building a data marketplace has failed, and how they're solving the fundamental chicken-and-egg problem. With an exclusive partnership with Sentinel's decentralized VPN, they're bringing in users now with a product people actually want, while building toward the ultimate goal: 10 million users earning $10+ monthly from their own data.

The technical breakthrough? EZI, a novel cryptographic protocol they invented that's 10,000x faster than standard zero-knowledge proofs. It enables data to be provably private yet still monetizable, solving the paradox that's plagued every data marketplace attempt.

Key Topics:

• Why engineers have more access to your data than you do
• The $500 billion data broker industry and why lawmakers want change
• How Valt defeated the data marketplace chicken-and-egg problem
• Exclusive Sentinel DVPN partnership as competitive moat
• EZI cryptographic protocol: 300 seconds vs. 42 days for data syncing
• Current traction: 20,000 MAU, revenue positive, 400% monthly growth
• Product roadmap: Valt AI for "Googling your life"
• Seed round details: $3M raise at $20M valuation targeting $1B at Series A
• Why data sovereignty is the next major consumer movement

Links:

• Valt: https://valtdata.com
• White Paper & Deck: https://valtdata.com/investors

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Zac:

Zac Wickstrom is founder of Valt, building the world's first viable data marketplace. After dropping out of college and moving to San Francisco for App Academy, he worked at Power and Wayfair, where he realized engineers had far more access to user data than users themselves.

This insight led him to invent EZI, a cryptographic protocol 10,000x faster than standard zero-knowledge proofs, solving the fundamental challenge that's caused every data marketplace to fail. Backed by Gain Ventures with 20,000 monthly active users, Zac is building the platform that gives people control of their data while creating a new economy where individuals, not corporations, profit from personal information.

Learn More Here: https://valtdata.com

Connect with Zac on LinkedIn