Ad-Blocking Browser Prepped for September Launch

Brave, the new Web browser being tested by former Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich, will launch for both desktop and mobile devices in September, after the company raised $4.5 million in seed funding in July.

Brave blocks online ads automatically, instead replacing them with its own programmatic ads, with Brave getting a 15% cut of the ad revenue. The open-source browser also blocks online trackers.

Brave’s backers argue that built-in ad-blocking reduced the page loading times and guards against ads that are infected with malware. The company expects its browser to be up to 60% faster than others on desktops and as much as four times faster than other mobile browsers.

“Online advertisers have been exploiting user data for years without consent, sometimes even infecting devices with malware," Eich, president and CEO of Brave Software, said in a statement. "It's no wonder that 200 million users worldwide have adopted ad-blocking to defend themselves. Viewing content on the Internet should not come at the expense of one's safety.”