Finance Yorkshire investment supports data protection specialist ProvePrivacy to expand
Investment from Finance Yorkshire is supporting a company specialising in data protection to grow its portfolio of clients.
ProvePrivacy, based in Bradford, is a secure, digital platform designed for data protection and information governance professionals to manage data protection compliance in their organisations.
A £74,200 investment from Finance Yorkshire’s business loans fund has enabled the business to drive marketing to gain more public and private sector clients. The investment is also supporting further development of the platform.
ProvePrivacy founder Mark Roebuck developed the platform after a career in data protection consultancy, leading large scale organisational data-led projects for blue-chip clients. It was clear during this time that there was a need for a solution to help organisations manage and monitor data protection compliance.
The introduction of GDPR led Mark to concentrate on his expertise in data protection and how organisations assess and minimise risks in the use of personal data.
Mark said: “My work in advising on GDPR led to the creation of the ProvePrivacy platform – I was working with organisations who were improving their systems to cope with GDPR and the risks associated with it.
“The platform supports organisations in the management of data as well as assessment to identify and minimise risks and demonstrate compliance, removing the need for a multitude of spreadsheets and allowing data champions of all skill levels to complete the necessary information.”
Mark carried out a proof of concept at Bradford City Football Club where he was previously an associate director. The platform was developed through the Covid 19 pandemic and launched 18 months ago.
Mark added: “I have been focussed on developing the product and now is the time to drive our marketing and build up our work particularly in the private sector. Finance Yorkshire’s investment enables us to do this while at the same time continuing to develop and enhance the platform’s features and functionality in line with data protection requirements and user needs.”
Alex McWhirter, chief executive of Finance Yorkshire, said: “Mark has brought his wealth of experience in the field of data protection to develop an intuitive product which responds to the needs of organisations where the use and governance of personal data is paramount. We are pleased to support him in the development of his innovative platform and the growth of the business.”
The investment from Finance Yorkshire’s business loans fund is part of a wider regional business fund and which is expected to provide more than £50m to SMEs over five years. Investment is also available from its seedcorn and business loans funds.