Samsung backs Mast Mobile, the startup that helps you manage multiple numbers on one phone
Summary
The news is part of a broader partnership with Samsung, which has made a minority investment of undisclosed size in the company. In addition, Mast said it’s launching the first commercial integration with the Samsung Knox Cloud SDK, which provides device security. Mast CEO David Messenger (previously an executive at Virgin Mobile USA) told me he’s trying to create “a new model for businesses but also individuals to manage their communications.” Samsung, he said, reached out to him last year. At the time, his team was focused on iOS, but he was excited to work with Samsung, both for the opportunity to expand overseas and for its enterprise tools, such as Knox. Mast will even provide phones if necessary, although Messenger said that when the company is reselling mobile network access or renting out devices, it’s doing so at-cost: “Our business model is all about the software license.”