Jana to launch internet browser with free data service

Mobile advertising company Jana will launch tomorrow an internet browser for Android users that will enable consumers to surf the web by offsetting mobile data costs.
The company plans to invest over USD 90 million in India and other emerging markets to strengthen its customer base.
"We have raised nearly USD 92 million which we will be putting into both in India and other emerging markets, but India is our largest market," Jana co-founder and CEO Nathan Eagle told PTI here.
A user of the browser, mCent, would initially get a data refund of up to 10 MB per day and 70 MB per week and will also be provided with unrestricted internet access to online content.

MCent, which will compete with the likes of UC browser and Opera mini, is an ad-sponsored model through which advertisers would incorporate their marketing.
As more advertisers are added to the platform, the data limit will increase, the company said.

Eagle said the company has tied up with all telecom operators in India, including Reliance Jio, for smooth transition of its services.
India is the first country in which we are launching the browser and we are hoping to have at least 10 million users by the end of 2017, Eagle said.
On being asked about the advertisers roped in by the company, he said: "For the browser we are working with the search engine partners as well as advertisement networks like Facebook and Instagram.

"We are also in talks with some e-commerce companies," Eagle said in a conference here. He, however, declined to name the e-commerce players.
The company, last year, raised USD 57 million from the investment arm of Verizon.