Evaluating only Digi.me’s profile at its peak — without knowing the outcome — the model ranked Acquisition gone wrong as the #1 likely cause. Documented cause: Unit economics.
Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
Julian Ranger founds digi.me in the UK to enable personal data portability and consent.
FUNDING
Raises £12M Series A; partners with Barclays and Sony for data-sharing pilots.
PRODUCT LAUNCH
Launches NHS data-sharing integration; heralded as breakthrough but adoption remains low.
SHUTDOWN
Consumer operations cease; staff laid off; technology sold to private buyer for undisclosed sum.
Full Analysis
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Documented cause
Digi.me built a personal data portability and consent management platform allowing users to aggregate and share their own data from dozens of sources under privacy-preserving rules. Founded in 2009, the UK company raised approximately £20M over its lifetime and secured partnerships with NHS, Barclays, and Sony. However, the company's B2C-first model struggled with user acquisition costs, and enterprise clients balked at complexity. In 2022, digi.me ceased consumer operations and laid off most of its staff, with the technology reportedly acquired for parts by a private buyer.
Lesson
“Personal data portability platforms cannot scale B2C without subsidized user acquisition or regulatory mandates.”