GDPR: Dastra raises 1 million euros to strengthen its technology and accelerate its European roll-out
Dastra, a publisher of GDPR software in SaaS mode, announces today that it has completed a first funding round of 1 million euros from a network of business angels including Seed4Soft, a club of software experts investing together in promising young B2B startups.
In a market whose overall annual growth is estimated at 46% a year, this deal will let Dastra continue developing its technology to make daily life easier for data protection officers (DPOs). The funds raised will also let Dastra accelerate its growth in France and Europe, at a time when the startup already counts clients in Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy.
Regulation that is particularly complex to manage
Four years after the GDPR came in, cases of non-compliance keep multiplying. 1.6 billion euros in fines have been issued since the GDPR took effect, and the CNIL, in its report published on 11 May 2022, records a very sharp rise in the number of breaches reported last year.
These failings are not down to ill will on the part of companies and public bodies, but to an unsuitable approach and unsuitable tools. Faced with an exponential quantity of personal data scattered across every system, and with new laws regularly enacted, the management and tracking of personal data is very often handled in silos, by hand, through manual practices and the use of software not designed for it or not connected to anything else. These methods are costly and very time-consuming, and they stop the various stakeholders working together, which loses a great deal along the way.
It was to answer that challenge that Paul-Emmanuel Bidault, Antoine Bidault, Jérôme de Mercey and Romain Bidault created Dastra in 2020. Their aim: to let organisations meet every GDPR obligation while improving DPOs' productivity.
Turning the DPO into a "Privacy Hero"!
More than a simple answer to a legal constraint, Dastra's SaaS web solution helps DPOs map and automate every technical and organisational process linked to personal data.
In a competitive market, Dastra sets itself apart by placing collaboration at the heart of the GDPR approach, so that DPOs can interact simply with every operational team and in every process involving the processing of personal data. The solution is also built on an open architecture so that it can be connected to all of an organisation's systems and processes.
Ultimately, rather than acting as a mere internal regulator, Dastra lets DPOs position themselves as genuine "privacy heroes": conductors able to bring along everyone who handles personal data, so as to improve their organisation's ability to comply quickly with privacy regulation.
More than 1,200 entities two years after its creation
On the strength of a plug-and-play solution that is intuitive and complete, Dastra has enjoyed clear success since launching. Barely 2 years after its creation, the startup forecasts revenue of one million euros at the end of 2022. Its clients include strong SMEs and mid-caps such as Alan, Saur, Allociné, Albin Michel and Clermont Foot, but also public institutions (Hôpitaux de Marseille) and local authorities (the city of La Rochelle and the Charente-Maritime département). In total, more than 1,200 entities rely on Dastra to manage their GDPR compliance.
Establishing itself among the European leaders in personal data protection
To continue its growth, Dastra has raised 1 million euros from a network of business angels including Seed4Soft, a club of software experts investing together in promising young B2B startups.
Thanks to the deal, the startup has the means it needs to continue the technical development of its platform. It plans to recruit 20 people and so double the size of its team from 2022.
The funds raised will also let Dastra accelerate its international roll-out, at a time when it already supports clients in Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands. Its aim: to establish itself quickly among the European reference points for GDPR compliance and personal data protection solutions.
In June, Dastra will be at the International Cybersecurity Forum in Lille from 7 to 9 June, at Vivatech on 15 June, and at the Printemps des DPO on 28 June.
Jacques Sebag, co-founder of Seed4Soft, comments:
"In a market every analyst expects to grow exponentially, Dastra brings organisations a simple, accessible, complete and effective solution for managing personal data and maintaining a relationship of trust with individuals (customers, citizens, employees) and with partners. Europe being a pioneer of data protection worldwide, it is only logical that it should have a champion in the field, and Dastra has everything it takes to become one."
Paul-Emmanuel, co-founder of Dastra, concludes:
"We warmly thank our investors for their involvement and their trust. It is a great source of pride for us to have won over a key partner specialising in SaaS software and very selective in the projects it backs. Being able to count on the commitment of its experts and to join their ecosystem is a real mark of success for Dastra, and we are delighted!"
Press contacts
EDIFICE Communication Laetitia Guittard | Tel: +33 (0)6 88 48 48 02 | laetitia@edifice-communication.com
Elise Elmaleh | Tel: +33 (0)7 72 66 77 91 | elise@edifice-communication.com