What if the biggest threat to your family's online safety wasn't a virus or a hacker — but your own Wi-Fi router?
Jeff \"Fuzzy\" Wenzel sits down with John Wu, CEO and Co-Founder of Gryphon Online Safety, to unpack how a routine internet search by his young daughter sparked a mission to protect families at the network level. What started as a Kickstarter campaign has grown into a company that has sold 95,000 routers, protected 1.2 million connected devices, and blocked over 20 million threats — with software licensing deals now live with Motorola and Nokia.
John breaks down exactly how Gryphon works — filtering content and blocking threats at the router level across every device in your home, no installs required. Parents can set custom profiles for each child, block specific apps like TikTok, manage AI chatbot access, and monitor browsing history, all from a simple app. And unlike device-based solutions like Bark or Apple's built-in controls, Gryphon covers everything connected to your network — smart TVs, gaming consoles, laptops, tablets, and more.
But this episode isn't just about the tech. John shares a candid look at his business journey — from early VC skepticism around equity crowdfunding to building a portfolio of 12 issued patents, achieving profitability, and targeting a tripling of software licensing revenue over the next 12 to 18 months. He also opens up about the challenges ahead: evolving internet protocols, AI tools changing the threat landscape, tariff pressures on hardware, and what it takes to stay ahead in a market that never stops moving.
Gryphon is currently raising on StartEngine, and John explains exactly why equity crowdfunding has been central to their strategy from day one — giving customers a stake in the mission, maintaining control of the company's direction, and building the kind of clean financial track record that could one day support a public offering.
If you're a parent, a tech investor, or just someone who has ever wondered what's actually coming through your home network, this episode is for you.
🔗 Invest in Gryphon: https://www.startengine.com/offering/gryphon
🌐 Learn more: https://gryphonconnect.com
🎙️ All episodes: https://invst.guru
Invst Guru is hosted by Jeff \"Fuzzy\" Wenzel and features founders and executives raising capital through equity crowdfunding platforms including StartEngine, Wefunder, Netcapital, and more.
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