Kape Technologies, an Israeli-linked company founded by billionaire Teddy Sagi, has acquired several major VPN providers. These include:
ExpressVPN (acquired in 2021 for $936 million)
CyberGhost (acquired in 2017)
Private Internet Access (PIA) (acquired in 2019)
ZenMate (acquired in 2018)
Intego Privacy Protection (acquired via Kape’s portfolio)
Additionally, Aura/Pango Group (formerly AnchorFree), an Israeli-founded company, owns:
Hotspot Shield
Betternet
Touch VPN
VPN360
UltraVPN
OVPN
These acquisitions mean that Kape Technologies and Aura control a significant portion of the global VPN market—up to 30–40%, according to some reports.
Key Concerns:
Teddy Sagi, the owner of Kape, has a criminal record (fraud and bribery), and has made large donations to the Israeli military, including $1 million to transport IDF soldiers during the 2023 Gaza war.
Kape Technologies was formerly known as Crossrider, a company accused of distributing malware and adware.
Leadership at Kape includes former operatives from Israel’s elite Unit 8200 (cyber-intelligence) and Duvdevan Unit (special operations in occupied territories), raising concerns about surveillance ties.
Possible safe alternatives:
Proton VPN (Switzerland)
Mullvad VPN (Sweden)
IVPN (Gibraltar)
BuycatVPN (built by privacy advocates, no Israeli links)
