Mode.Inc Acquires Trimbox and QR Code Reader, Expanding the AI Data Network Powered by Everyday People

• With 7 acquisitions since January 2025, the deals expand Mode’s portfolio to more than 100 million monthly active users
• The two new apps contribute to a larger and more diverse data supply for AI, created and owned by everyday people

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mode.Inc, a consumer technology platform that acquires and scales mobile apps and returns value to the people using them, today announced the acquisition of Trimbox, an email inbox management app, and QR Code Reader, a leading utility app. Together, the deals add low eight figures in annual revenue and create opportunities to scale EarnOS, Mode’s proprietary monetization engine, across a growing portfolio that now reaches more than 100 million monthly active users.

Trimbox is a leading inbox management app with more than 50,000 paying subscribers who have collectively cleaned over 1.7 billion emails. Rated 4.5 stars across more than 7,300 reviews, Trimbox helps users regain control of their inboxes through one-click unsubscribing, bulk email deletion, spam blocking, and an AI-powered assistant. Since its acquisition, Mode has increased Trimbox’s monthly recurring revenue by 43%. A free version integrated with Mode’s EarnOS reward and merit engine is scheduled for launch in Q3 2026. Through EarnOS, users will be able to opt in to share consented inbox and purchase data in exchange for rewards, generating the anonymized, aggregated signals that data buyers increasingly seek to build and refine AI and analytics models.

QR Code Reader reaches 1.5 million monthly active users and generates approximately low eight figures in annual revenue. A top-rated utility app with a 4.7-star rating from more than 668,000 reviews, it has been a trusted App Store product for more than a decade. Mode plans to integrate EarnOS, allowing users to earn rewards for engagement. The app processes tens of millions of scans each year, a growing share of them tied to products consumers intend to purchase or research. That everyday activity produces real-world purchase-intent signals that, with user consent, become a valuable input for the AI economy.

EarnOS: The Unifying Infrastructure

Rather than treating acquisitions as standalone assets, Mode embeds EarnOS—its proprietary rewards and monetization engine—across every product in the portfolio. EarnOS rewards users with real income for engagement while simultaneously opening new revenue opportunities across subscriptions, premium upgrades, advertising, and permission-based data. This creates a stronger economic model than traditional app ownership, where monetization is often limited to ads or paid subscriptions alone.

Mode’s acquisition playbook has already demonstrated the benefits of EarnOS integration. Following Mode’s acquisition of AppLock Pro, monthly revenue increased by 194% and monthly EBITDA grew by 384% within nine months. NGL, a social platform with over 250 million installs, added Gen Z reach and international distribution to the portfolio.

“The apps most investors overlook are often the ones worth owning. There are thousands of products with real users and revenue that never reach their potential because they lack the infrastructure to scale further. That’s the gap Mode fills,” said Dan Novaes, CEO and co-founder of Mode Inc. “These two apps are part of our bigger vision to build the infrastructure that connects everyday people who want to earn and save from their smartphones with the AI labs, enterprises, and financial institutions competing for the behavioral data those people generate.”

Returning Value to Users

The average person spends roughly 70 to 80 days each year on their phone—time that has historically created value for platforms and advertisers, but little for the people generating it. EarnOS offers users the chance to earn rewards, such as cash, gift cards, discounts, sweepstakes, and premium access, for the time they already spend on their phones. To date, Mode has facilitated over $1 billion in earnings, savings, and incentives—a meaningful sum at a time when many Americans report feeling financially strained and look for ways to supplement their income.

Positioned for the AI Era

The same behavioral data that rewards users is becoming one of the most valuable and scarce resources in the AI economy. Training the next generation of AI requires data that accurately reflects how real people behave, not data scraped from the internet or generated synthetically. It has to come from real people, doing real things, who have agreed to share it. As regulatory pressure on unconsented data intensifies and AI demand accelerates, the market for compliant human behavioral data is projected to exceed $258 billion by 2030.

Mode’s ecosystem becomes more valuable with every acquisition. Each new app adds users, demographics, behavioral signals, and new distribution channels to a platform built to serve both the people generating the data and the businesses that rely on it.

To explore Mode’s growing portfolio of consumer apps or learn about its current investment round, visit https://www.mode.inc

About Mode.Inc

Mode is a consumer technology platform that acquires and scales mobile apps with engaged user bases, building a unified system that turns everyday mobile behavior into income for users and consented, first-party data for the AI economy. The company operates a global platform with over 100 million monthly active users across 170+ countries. Mode’s products have enabled users to earn and save over $1 billion through rewards, savings, and incentives. Through its EarnOS platform, users opt in to share behavioral data and activity in exchange for rewards, creating the kind of consented, first-party signal that AI developers, financial institutions, and brands increasingly require. The company has raised over $80 million from more than 60,000 investors via Regulation A+.