Blacklisted spyware firm Candiru acquired by Integrity Partners in $30 million deal
Integrity Partners restructures the controversial cyber firm into a new entity to bypass U.S. sanctions, as Candiru grapples with declining operations.
The operations of the cyber-attack company Candiru have been sold to the investment fund Integrity Partners for up to $30 million, Calcalist has learned. According to an agreement signed several months ago, the fund purchased Candiru’s assets and transferred them—along with all of the company's employees—to a new entity that is not subject to U.S. government sanctions.
In the first phase of the agreement, which has already been completed, the company's employees transitioned to the new company for $10 million. The second phase of the deal will be finalized upon approval of the transfer of Candiru's export licenses to the new entity. The buyer, Integrity Partners, is an American investment fund in which Elad Yoran, the brother of Amit Yoran, the former CEO of Tenable who recently passed away, is a partner, among others.
Candiru was founded in 2014 by Yaakov Weizmann and Eran Shorer. The company's longtime chairman, Isaac Zack, is also its largest shareholder. Candiru has made significant efforts to keep its operations under the radar. The relatively modest purchase price is believed to reflect a substantial decline in its business due to the revocation of export licenses and U.S. government sanctions.
In 2021, the U.S. government blacklisted Candiru and NSO, determining that their activities were contrary to U.S. national security interests. The companies were sanctioned based on evidence that they developed spyware used by foreign governments to monitor government officials, journalists, businesspeople, activists, embassy employees, and academics.
Candiru declined to comment on the report.
