Worldr

A start-up that secures employee data in workplace collaboration tools using zero-trust ideas.

About Worldr

Worldr is a London software company that helps organisations keep control of the messages and files their staff share at work. Many companies chat on tools such as Microsoft Teams, Slack and WhatsApp, and those messages normally sit on the tool owner's servers. Worldr adds a layer on top so the data is held in the customer's own environment, and says it can be installed in under 10 minutes without replacing the chat tools. It uses a zero-trust approach, meaning every user, device and app is checked rather than assumed safe.

Worldr's founder is Max Buchan, who is also its CEO, and Startups.co.uk gives 2019 as its founding year. It is London-based. In 2022 it hired Chris Hurst, who came from the security firm Kaspersky, as VP of sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, a sign that it was growing its team. A press release in October 2022 named it as a member of Plexal's Cyber Runway programme, a UK startup programme run from Plexal's innovation centre in East London.

We did not find a formal mission statement. The nearest thing is Max Buchan's quote in the press that "Companies rightfully want control of their data to protect themselves", and trade coverage describes the aim as strengthening privacy, security and compliance in team messaging software. That is how others describe it, not a published mission.

Worldr's products are add-ons for the chat tools people already use, including Worldr for WhatsApp, which was newly launched in 2022, and a zero-trust layer for Microsoft Teams, with support for Slack and Outlook. Compliance matters because regulated firms such as banks must keep records of staff messages and show they are safe. Its main named programme partner is Plexal's Cyber Runway.

We found no information on working at Worldr, no careers page and no early-careers routes, and we cannot confirm that the company is still operating under this name today, since our evidence is from 2021 to 2023. As a very small startup, roles are likely to be few, and anyone interested should check the website and Plexal's startup network.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Checks every access to employee messages and files.', 'title': 'Zero-trust data protection'}
• {'desc': "Keeps Teams messages and files in the customer's own environment.", 'title': 'Teams protection'}
• {'desc': 'Brings WhatsApp business chats under company control (launched 2022).', 'title': 'Worldr for WhatsApp'}

Key facts

• Founded 2019 by Max Buchan (CEO); London-based (Startups.co.uk)
• Member of Plexal Cyber Runway (October 2022)
• Works with Microsoft Teams, Slack and WhatsApp
• Can be deployed in under 10 minutes without replacing existing tools (company claim)

Website: www.worldr.com