Kape Technologies
 | |
| Formerly | Crossrider |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Information security |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder |
|
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Owner | Teddy Sagi |
| Subsidiaries |
|
| Website | kape |
Kape Technologies plc (formerly Crossrider Ltd.) is a British-Israeli information security company[1] owned by businessman Teddy Sagi.[2] Kape owns the VPN service and cybersecurity companies CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, ZenMate, ExpressVPN, and Intego.[3]
The development center of Kape is located in the Azrieli Sarona Tower in Tel Aviv.[4]
History
[edit]2011-2017: Crossrider
[edit]
Crossrider was founded in 2011 by Smueli Achdut and Koby Menachemi.[5]
In late 2012, Israeli businessman Teddy Sagi acquired Crossrider for $37 million. The company went public on AIM at a value of $250 million. Crossrider started off by making a software development kit (SDK) for the deployment of browser extensions to a variety of platforms with support for monetizing extensions.[6][7] The monetization options were used by major ad injectors which used man-in-the-browser to change or add advertisements to what users saw.[7] Over time, Crossrider's services became increasingly utilized by malware and adware developers and the company was unable to combat misuse.[7]
In May 2014, it acquired Ajillion for $2.2 million and Definiti Media for $15-$20 million dollars.[8]
In June 2016, following the appointment of new management team, the company changed its strategy to focus to cyber-security with a focus on digital privacy and protection of digital data.[7] In practical terms, the company stopped its browser SDK business to focus on the VPN sector, purchasing CyberGhost VPN in 2017.[9]
2018-current: Kape Technologies
[edit]In March 2018, the name of the company was changed to Kape Technologies plc.[10]
Kape purchased VPN services Zenmate in 2018, Private Internet Access in 2019 and ExpressVPN in 2021.[11][12][13][14] It also acquired the VPN service review publisher Webselenese in 2021.[9]
References
[edit]- ↑ Scheer, Steven (September 13, 2021). "Kape Technologies buys ExpressVPN for $936 mln". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2025-01-03. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
- ↑ Hodge, Rae. "What is Kape Technologies? What you need to know about the parent company of CyberGhost VPN". CNET. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
- ↑ "Kape Technologies Agrees to Buy ExpressVPN for $936 Million". Bloomberg.com. September 13, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021..
- ↑ "Kape revenue doubles following PIA acquisition". Globes. 2020-09-15. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
- ↑ "Crossrider CEO: Teddy Sagi's vision fits our plans - Globes". Globes. 2014-10-07. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
- ↑ "Adware.CrossRider". Malwarebytes Labs. n.d. Archived from the original on 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
- 1 2 3 4 Taylor, Sven (2021-11-29). "Taking a Closer Look at Kape Technologies, Crossrider, and Malware". RestorePrivacy. Archived from the original on 2022-01-22. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ↑ "Teddy Sagi acquires two mobile ad start-ups - Globes". en.globes.co.il. 2014-05-18. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- 1 2 Lekander, Alex (15 September 2021). "Kape Technologies (Formerly Crossrider) Now Owns ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, Zenmate, and a Collection of VPN "Review" Websites". CyberInsider.
- ↑ "Teddy Sagi's Crossrider to raise $75m in London IPO - Globes English". Globes (in Hebrew). 19 August 2014. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
- ↑ Dobberstein, Laura. "ExpressVPN bought for $1bn by Brit biz with an intriguing history in adware". The Register. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
- ↑ "Kape Technologies buys ExpressVPN for $936 mln". Reuters. September 13, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- ↑ Hodge, Rae (September 13, 2021). "Kape Technologies buys ExpressVPN as part of a $936 million deal". CNET. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
- ↑ "ExpressVPN Acquired by Kape Technologies: How Does It Affect You?". Make Use Of. September 19, 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Official website (Crossrider) at the Wayback Machine (archived 2014-02-14)