MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 02/20/13 -- AnchorFree, the provider of the world's most popular consumer virtual private network (VPN), is America's sixth most promising company and its founder is one of the country's most promising CEOs, according to Forbes.

The Silicon Valley company provides over 100 million global users with Hotspot Shield -- a free app that enables secure browsing, online privacy protection, mobile data compression, and freedom to access all Internet content across iPhones, Android devices, PCs and Macs. AnchorFree was ranked ahead of high profile innovators such as Popchips, Petplan and Squarespace.

The list, which covers privately held, high-growth US companies in all industries, was compiled over the course of six months. AnchorFree topped thousands of entries from businesses in an assessment that included growth, quality of management team and investors, and market share.

AnchorFree has also become the most trafficked online service, according to Internet measurement firm Quantcast. AnchorFree is among the top 40 online destinations, with more monthly visitors than companies such as CNN, MTV, and Yelp.

AnchorFree CEO, David Gorodyansky, who also raised $52 million in series C funding from Goldman Sachs in 2012, comments: "This list highlights the power of the Internet as a force for innovation; companies from all industries were assessed, yet 48 of the top 100 are part of the software and services industry.

"Being selected as the sixth most promising company demonstrates the importance of empowering consumers with choice and control over their personal information online. From safeguarding personal privacy to protecting against hackers and identity theft, VPNs such as AnchorFree's Hotspot Shield arm us with the tools we need to enjoy all the information and communication benefits that the Internet has to offer, safely. The team and I feel immensely proud of this accolade -- and will continue to work hard to ensure that AnchorFree fulfills its commitment to providing secure access to the world's information for all!"

David Gorodyansky will be attending Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and is available on the 25th and 26th of February to discuss AnchorFree, its mission and its technology.

About AnchorFree
AnchorFree believes in placing consumers in control of their personal information online. The company's mission is to enable secure access to the world's information for an addressable market of 5 billion people who access the Web through computers or mobile devices. AnchorFree does this through Hotspot Shield, the world's most popular app for safe browsing. Hotspot Shield secures all Internet communications, protects the user's identity online, and provides universal access to all Internet content. Hotspot Shield is available for PC, Mac, Apple iOS, and Android platforms at www.AnchorFree.com and www.HotspotShield.com. AnchorFree is a privately held, venture-backed company based in Mountain View, California.