Highlights:

  • Processing data subject requests, or DSRs, is one of the most time-consuming tasks in adhering to privacy legislation like the GDPR.
  • Based in San Francisco, Transcend claims to be able to automate the procedure with its cloud service.

Transcend secured USD 40 million in the funding round. The startup assists businesses in processing their user data to comply with privacy regulations.

According to the company’s recent announcement of the financing, StepStone Group was the primary investor. Additional contributions came from HighlandX, Accel, Index Ventures, 01 Advisors (01A), Script Capital, and South Park Commons. Due to the Series B investment, Transcend now has USD 90 million in total outside capital.

Transcend Chief Executive Officer Ben Brook said, “This month marks the sixth anniversary of GDPR, and we’re in the middle of another wave of comprehensive legislation with the EU AI Act and a draft U.S. federal privacy law. Yet privacy remains a fundamentally unsolved problem inside companies. Most have neither a clear view of their data nor effective privacy controls installed directly into their systems.”

Processing data subject requests, or DSRs, is one of the most time-consuming tasks in adhering to privacy legislation like the GDPR. Users submit these requests to companies, requesting that the data they have provided about them be removed or made available for download. Some businesses get hundreds or even thousands of DSRs annually.

User data is frequently dispersed across several systems, contributing to the time-consuming processing of such requests. For instance, a company might keep track of their client’s credit card details in one application and their purchase history in another. The more effort is involved in the task; the more systems need to be changed when individuals request that their information be removed.

Based in San Francisco, Transcend claims to be able to automate the procedure with its cloud service. Without requiring any human input, the service locates the applications where the user data is kept when they submit a DSR. Depending on what was requested, the content is then either deleted or made available for download.

With the help of this solution, businesses can tailor the DSR processing workflow to meet their own needs. For instance, a business can implement a system that alerts its regulatory compliance team each time a user requests that their data be deleted. Additionally, Transcend has implemented security measures to sift through requests made by hackers for dangerous data downloads.

The software developer offers 12 privacy management tools, including this service. Another product, Web Auditor, may examine a website’s cookies and other user tracking technologies to see if it complies with data privacy regulations. Transcend also provides tools that enable website users to adjust their data-gathering options self-serviceably.

Pathfinder is a new service that the corporation has added to its line of offerings. It is intended to assist businesses in ensuring that their large language models don’t provide undesirable results. It is currently in a private beta version. In addition to being a tool for statistics, Pathfinder also records user interactions with LLMs.

According to Transcend, several Fortune 500 businesses, LG Electronics Inc., and well-funded human resources software startup Rippling People Center Inc. use its products. The firm plans to expand its clientele and support product development efforts with funding from its recently disclosed Series B investment.