Parent company
Startpage B.V. group
Independent · headquartered in Netherlands · owns 2 VPN brands
Dutch. In 2019 System1, a US advertising technology company, took a significant stake, which led several privacy communities to drop their recommendation at the time. The group says search and mail operations remain independent and under Dutch law.
Brands it controls
Startpage
Not tracked on this site.
StartMail 56
Dutch, PGP-based, and from the same group as Startpage — which sold a stake to an adtech firm.
Sources
- https://www.startpage.com/en/privacy-policy/ — ownership
Verification: needs primary source check, checked 2026-09-06.
Frequently asked
Which VPNs does Startpage B.V. group own?
Startpage, StartMail.
Is a VPN owned by Startpage B.V. group safe?
Ownership does not make a VPN unsafe, but it tells you whose incentives you are trusting. Startpage B.V. group is independent and headquartered in Netherlands. Dutch. In 2019 System1, a US advertising technology company, took a significant stake, which led several privacy communities to drop their recommendation at the time. The group says search and mail operations remain independent and under Dutch law. Each brand's review on this site scores the audit history and jurisdiction separately.
Does Startpage B.V. group own any VPN review sites?
Not that we have found. That is worth something: two of the largest VPN owners do.
How do you know this?
From the sources listed on this page — company filings, official brand pages and press releases. Verification status is needs primary source check, last checked 2026-09-06. If you know of a change, contact us.