An independent lab building private software.
NovusKey Labs builds tools that do what the popular cloud apps do, without collecting your data or showing you ads. It is independent and self-funded, with no outside investors and no growth targets driving the roadmap.
Constraints we honor
Most modern apps solve a real problem, then keep your data on their servers, track how you use it, and sell ads against it. That tradeoff is no longer necessary. Phones are fast, storage is cheap, and on-device processing has caught up, so a private app can be just as capable. Four hard constraints hold the work in place.
- Local-firstYour work lives on your device. The network is optional and always your choice.
- No telemetryNo analytics, ads, or accounts. There is nothing for us to collect.
- Open-coreThe core is Apache-2.0, so anyone can verify how it works.
- Compliance-gatedLegal, privacy, and export duties are cleared before a release, not after.
Operating protocol
Every change moves through the same path before it reaches a person.
- Research
Test the idea against the mission and a real user need. Nothing is built on a hunch.
- Source verification
Check every claim against the actual code and primary sources before it is written down or shipped.
- Build
Implement test-first, in the open core, where the work is auditable.
- Review
Adversarial code review and a security pass before anything merges.
- Release gate
Both ship gates below must pass before a build reaches a person.
Release gates
Nothing ships until these clear.
Six criteria graded A to F: user-friendliness, security, functionality, UI-to-code fit, deployment readiness, legal safety. Nothing below the bar ships.
A twelve-layer check, each layer answered or marked not-applicable with a reason.
Dependency, secret, and license scans. The release stays GPL-free and telemetry-free.
Privacy and terms reviewed. Anything with a legal or regulatory gate waits for it.