Telecom service provider Telefonica has invested $2.5 million in Barcelona-based software product startup Qustodio.
The deal gives Telefonica 300 million subscribers access to the family safety software product. The Qustodio family safety product works across mobile devices as well as desktop PCs and Apple Mac computers.
Telefonica will roll out the software product in Spain in the coming weeks, while other countries will be added in due course.
As part of the deal, Telefonica mobile customers will receive preferential access to Qustodio’s online family safety suite. More than 1 million families worldwide are using the cloud-based service from Qustodio.
Key milestones in 2014
Qualcomm announces partnership with Qustodio in Q1 2014 at CES
Telefonica makes indirect investment via Kibo Ventures in Q2 2014
Qustodio announces retail distribution via Sam’s Club, Target and Amazon .com in Q3
Qustodio will roll out into 20 territories in 2015
Qustodio’s family safety suite includes different apps that allow parents to block harmful content, better control the time their kids spend online, track their child’s device or restrict apps on their devices.
Through a secure dashboard, parents can view and manage the online activity of their children from anywhere with daily, weekly or monthly reports on the time spent online and social media.
“Adding Qustodio to our portfolio allows us to offer a full protection suite for kids and teens that goes beyond traditional parental controls and adapts to families’ changing needs and requirements in today’s multi-device world,” said Elisa Caballero, director of Consumer Marketing at Telefonica.
Earlier Telefonica invested in Qustodio through Amerigo, the international network of technology venture capital funds which is part of Telefonica’s Open Future initiative.
