This CEO Raised $400 Million To "Poison" Your Data (And Protect Your Privacy) | The Under 30 Podcast

$400M raised including massive Series B

The company raised over $400 million to date, including a $375 million Series B in 2021 just months after launching in 2021.

20x customer growth in under a year

Cloaked grew from fewer than 20,000 paying customers in January 2023 to nearly 400,000 currently.

Rapid enterprise expansion

The company scaled from zero to over 50 enterprise accounts in just three to four months.

Built invasive AI models in 2020

Bhasin aggregated all his personal data—Facebook, banking, GPS, iMessage, health metrics—into crude AI models running on a Mac mini.

AI impersonated him without consent

The system autonomously texted his girlfriend, declared 'I love you,' and sent memes without his knowledge, revealing terrifying data vulnerabilities.

Realized data ownership crisis

The experiment proved individuals don't own their data despite AI having access to every aspect of their lives, predating the current generative AI boom.

Fragment identity with masked credentials

Users generate thousands of unique emails, phone numbers, credit cards, and passwords so no single entity sees consistent personal data.

AI vs. AI call screening

Cloaked's AI agents answer calls on behalf of users, currently handling millions daily where 40% are AI scam attempts targeting consumers.

Poison the tracking ecosystem

By feeding systems conflicting information—like fake locations in Mississippi for a non-resident—data brokers cannot build accurate profiles or track real behavior.

Works within existing systems

Masked credentials function with government agencies, banks, and Global Entry without breaking underlying identity verification that requires real SSNs or driver's licenses.

Legislative advocacy in Congress

The company is collaborating with Congresswoman Tran on federal legislation to enshrine individual privacy rights rather than forcing companies to self-regulate.

Cleaning the past is insufficient

Deleting old data breaches is ineffective if users continue providing real credentials to every retailer like Shake Shack, making forward-looking masking essential.