AUG 23 2016

Mozilla makes strategic investment in Cliqz to help innovate Web search in the field of privacy protection

Mountain View, California and Munich, Germany; August 23, 2016: Mozilla has invested in the Munich-based Cliqz GmbH. The aim of this strategic investment is to develop innovative products in the area of data protection for searches on the Internet. Cliqz is a majority holding of the internationally operating media and technology company Hubert Burda Media. Mozilla is the Californian Mountain View developer of Firefox browser.

Cliqz for Firefox can already be downloaded for free at https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/cliqz. The browser extension adds an innovative quick search engine to Firefox, as well as features to enhance security and privacy such as anti-tracking. Cliqz Quick Search is optimized for German users and displays website suggestions, news and information to help users reach their destination faster. If users need more or other website suggestions, they can simply forward their search to another search engine. The privacy-by-design-architecture guarantees that no personal or personal information is stored on Cliqz servers.

Jean-Paul Schmetz, founder and managing director of Cliqz:
Mozilla is an ideal partner for Cliqz. Both companies are united by their belief in an open Internet in which people have control over their data. We are proud to bring our core competencies - data and search, as well as our privacy and search engine technologies - to the Mozilla world."

Mark Mayo, Senior Vice President, Mozilla Firefox:
Mozilla is looking forward to working with Cliqz because their products are in line with our mission. With this strategic investment, we want to help advance Cliqz's privacy innovations."

In addition to the Firefox extension, Cliqz Quick Search is also available as a standalone browser for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. Cliqz is the first browser with built-in quick search. The Cliqz versions for desktop and iOS are based on the open source technology of Mozilla Firefox. The desktop versions feature data protection and security features such as Cliqz Anti-Tracking and HTTPS Everywhere from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

About Mozilla
Mozilla has been a pioneer and advocate of the open web for over 15 years. We create and promote open standards that pave the way for innovations and develop the web as a platform for everyone. Today, hundreds of millions of people worldwide use Mozilla Firefox to experience the internet on computers, tablets and mobile devices. You can find more information at www.mozilla.org.

About Cliqz GmbH
Cliqz has begun to merge browser and search to redesign the user interface of the internet. Around 100 experts from 30 countries develop innovative software with the aim of getting users to their destination as directly as possible, while protecting their privacy. Cliqz GmbH was founded in April 2008 under the name 10betterpages GmbH by Jean-Paul Schmetz. Since May 2013, Cliqz GmbH has been majority owned by Hubert Burda Media. In August 2016, Mozilla acquired a strategic minority stake in Cliqz. Cliqz for Firefox was launched in June 2014. The browser extension's "Search directly in the browser" concept won over one million active users per month in just a few months. Since the end of 2015 Cliqz has been available as a stand-alone browser, and in the meantime also as apps for Android and iOS. Cliqz 1.0 for Windows and Mac with built-in anti-tracking was released in March 2016.

About Hubert Burda Media
Hubert Burda Media is an internationally active media and technology company whose approximately 540 media products are geared to the needs of consumers. Burda has 175 million users and approximately 60 million paying customers. The company's success is driven by its more than 10,000 employees around the world: Burda is active in 19 countries, mainly in Germany - where it is one of the leading media companies - in Europe, the USA and Asia. The company, which is based on the roots and values of a family-owned company, is distinguished by its ability to innovate. Burda is a pioneer in the development and application of digital technologies and as an investor a reliable partner for the long-term success of digital business models. Examples are Etsy.com (invested since 2006) or Xing (invested since 2009, majority interest since 2012). With DLD (Digital, Life, Design), Hubert Burda Media has created a global innovation, digitalization, science and culture network that organises conferences all over the world.

Press contact:

[email protected]

Thomas Konrad
Cliqz GmbH
Arabellastraße 23
81925 München
Fon: +49 (0) 89 9250 1833
[email protected]

Dorothee Stommel
Hubert Burda Media
[email protected]
Fon: +49  (0) 89 9250 2065

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