Who Owns Your VPN? Corporate Ownership Map
A VPN routes all your internet traffic through servers controlled by one company. Knowing who that company is – who owns it, where it is registered, what other products it operates, and whether it has a history of privacy violations – is not optional information. It is the foundation of trust.
Most VPN review sites do not tell you this. Some cannot, because they are owned by the same parent companies as the VPNs they review. This page is a factual reference mapping the corporate ownership of every major VPN service, maintained independently and updated regularly.
Jump to section
The Major Corporate Groups
Between 2017 and 2023, the consumer VPN market consolidated rapidly. Six of the ten most popular VPN services are now owned by just three companies.
Kape Technologies (formerly Crossrider)
| Kape Technologies – Corporate Profile | |
|---|---|
| Legal name | Kape Technologies PLC |
| Former name | Crossrider (rebranded 2018) |
| Headquarters | London, UK (operations previously based in Israel) |
| Controlling owner | Teddy Sagi, via Unikmind Holdings |
| Publicly traded? | No. Delisted from London AIM exchange on 31 May 2023 (Shares Magazine) |
| VPN brands | ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access (PIA), ZenMate |
| Review sites owned | vpnMentor, Wizcase |
Acquisition timeline
| Brand | Announced | Reported price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CyberGhost | 14 March 2017 | Approximately EUR 9.1 million | Globes |
| ZenMate | 16 October 2018 | Not publicly disclosed | PR Newswire |
| Private Internet Access | 19 November 2019 | $95.5 million | Business Wire |
| vpnMentor + Wizcase | 8 March 2021 | Not publicly disclosed | Business Wire |
| ExpressVPN | 13 September 2021 | $936 million | Bloomberg |
Nord Security
| Nord Security – Corporate Profile | |
|---|---|
| Legal name | Nord Security (parent); NordVPN registered under Tefincom S.A. (Panama) |
| Headquarters | Vilnius, Lithuania (NordVPN legally registered in Panama) |
| Founders | Tom Okman and Tomas Martunas |
| Publicly traded? | No |
| VPN brands | NordVPN, Surfshark, Atlas VPN (shut down April 2024) |
| Other products | NordPass, NordLocker, NordLayer, Incogni |
Merger and acquisition timeline
| Brand | Announced | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas VPN | 15 October 2021 | Acquisition. Shut down 24 April 2024; users migrated to NordVPN | GlobeNewsWire |
| Surfshark | 2 February 2022 | Merger. Both brands continue operating independently | PR Newswire |
Ziff Davis (formerly j2 Global)
| Ziff Davis – Corporate Profile | |
|---|---|
| Legal name | Ziff Davis, Inc. (formerly j2 Global, Inc.) |
| Headquarters | New York, USA |
| Publicly traded? | Yes (NASDAQ: ZD) |
| VPN brands | IPVanish, StrongVPN, Encrypt.me, WLVPN |
| Media properties | PCMag, Mashable, Lifehacker, IGN, Humble Bundle |
Point Wild (formerly Pango Group / AnchorFree / Aura)
| Point Wild – Corporate Profile | |
|---|---|
| Legal name | Point Wild (formed December 2024 via merger of Pango Group and Total Security) |
| Former names | AnchorFree (2005), Pango (2019), Aura (2020), Pango Group (2024), Point Wild (2024) |
| Headquarters | Boston, USA / London, UK |
| Publicly traded? | No |
| VPN brands | Hotspot Shield, Betternet, Touch VPN, Ultra VPN, VPN 360 |
| Other products | TotalAV, OVPN |
| Source | PR Newswire, 12 December 2024 |
Gaditek / Disrupt (Pakistan)
| Gaditek – Corporate Profile | |
|---|---|
| Legal name | Disrupt (formerly Gaditek) |
| Operations | Karachi, Pakistan |
| VPN registered entity | GZ Systems Ltd, British Virgin Islands (moved from Hong Kong in 2021) |
| Publicly traded? | No |
| VPN brands | PureVPN, Ivacy |
Independent Providers
These VPN services appear to operate independently – not subsidiaries of larger corporate groups. “Independent” does not automatically mean “trustworthy,” but it does mean fewer corporate layers between you and the people making privacy decisions.
| Provider | Jurisdiction | Founded | Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mullvad | Sweden | 2009 | Founded by Daniel Berntsson and Fredrik Stromberg. No outside investors. No corporate parent. |
| IVPN | Gibraltar | 2009 | Founded by Nick Pestell. Privatus Limited. No corporate parent. |
| Proton VPN | Switzerland | 2017 | Part of Proton AG, founded by Andy Yen (former CERN scientist). Also operates Proton Mail, Proton Drive, Proton Calendar. |
| Windscribe | Canada | 2016 | Founded by Yegor Sak, Alex Paguis, and Mark Ulicki. Claims to be founder and employee owned with no outside investors (not independently verified). |
| Mozilla VPN | USA | 2020 | Operated by Mozilla Corporation (Firefox). Uses Mullvad’s WireGuard server network. |
| AirVPN | Italy | 2010 | Founded by Paolo Brini. Operated by Air di Paolo Brini. Community-governed with transparent server status and real-time logging policies. |
| TorGuard | USA | 2012 | Originally VPNetworks LLC. Acquired by Certida in 2024. Focuses on P2P and privacy-focused users. |
| VPN Unlimited | USA | 2013 | Operated by KeepSolid Inc, a broader security software company. Also develops DNS Firewall, Passwarden, and other tools. |
| TunnelBear | Canada (US parent) | 2011 | Acquired by McAfee in March 2018. Not truly independent since acquisition, but operates as a distinct brand. |
Chinese-Owned or Chinese-Connected Free VPNs
Independent research has found that a majority of the most popular free VPN apps on Google Play had Chinese ownership or connections. A 2018 study found 59% of popular free VPN mobile apps had hidden Chinese ownership. Follow-up research showed 77% of the flagged apps remained available years later.
This matters because China’s National Intelligence Law (2017) can compel companies to cooperate with state intelligence agencies – regardless of what a VPN’s privacy policy says.
| App / Company | Details |
|---|---|
| Innovative Connecting / Lemon Clove / All Connected | Operated multiple free VPN apps with hundreds of millions of combined downloads |
| Turbo VPN, VPN Proxy Master | Among the most downloaded free VPN apps globally. Ownership traced to Chinese entities |
| X-VPN | Ties to Chinese government entities documented by the Tech Transparency Project |
The practical takeaway: If a free VPN app does not clearly disclose who owns and operates it, treat it as compromised until proven otherwise.
Why Corporate Ownership Matters
- Parent companies can compel data sharing between subsidiaries. If the same company owns your VPN and a data-mining business, information may flow between divisions regardless of individual brand privacy policies.
- Jurisdiction determines which governments can compel disclosure. A VPN registered in Panama faces different legal obligations than one in the United States. But jurisdiction only matters if the company actually operates there.
- Past behavior predicts future risk. Companies that have provided logs despite no-logs policies, delayed breach disclosures, or faced regulatory complaints have demonstrated their real approach to user privacy.
- Acquisitions change the trust equation. The VPN you chose may be acquired by a company with different values. Your trust relationship transfers to a new owner without your consent.
No-Logs Policies Tested in Court
Every VPN claims “no logs.” Only a handful have been tested by law enforcement, courts, or server seizures. Five providers have had their claims verified. Two had their claims directly contradicted.
See the full breakdown: No-Logs Policies Tested in Court – including court-tested incidents, third-party audit history, and what it means for your decision.
How to Use This Information
- Check who owns your VPN before subscribing. If the parent company also owns the review site that recommended it, factor that into your assessment.
- Look for court-tested no-logs claims, not just audits. If a VPN claims “no logs” but has never been tested in a legal proceeding, treat the claim as unverified.
- Understand what changed after an acquisition. Review the current ownership before renewing a subscription.
- Be skeptical of free VPNs with opaque ownership. If a VPN is free and does not disclose its ownership, the product is likely you.
- Test your VPN technically. Our VPN leak test verifies whether your VPN is working at a technical level. But no external test can verify what a company does with its server logs. Technical testing and ownership research are complementary.
About This Page
This page is maintained as a public reference. Every claim is sourced from court documents, regulatory filings, company disclosures, or reporting by trusted news organizations (Bloomberg, Business Wire, Reuters, GlobeNewsWire). Where information is uncertain or disputed, we say so.
If you spot an error, outdated information, or a missing provider, please contact us. For details on how we test VPN services technically, see our methodology.
The VPN industry is more consolidated than you think. A handful of parent companies own dozens of VPN brands. Here's who owns what - and why it matters for your privacy.
Ownership Tree
Formerly Crossrider (adware/ad-injection platform). Rebranded in 2018 after acquiring VPN brands.
Formerly: Crossrider
- ExpressVPN Audited (3)
- CyberGhost Audited (1)
- Private Internet Access (PIA) Audited (1)
- ZenMate
Largest consumer VPN group. Merged with Surfshark in 2022. Private company with complex multi-jurisdiction structure.
Formerly: NordSec Ltd, Tefincom S.A.
- NordVPN Audited (3)
- Surfshark Audited (2)
- Atlas VPN
Media conglomerate. VPN division operates under Ookla/NetProtect subsidiary.
Formerly: J2 Global
- IPVanish Audited (1)
- StrongVPN
- Encrypt.me
- Perimeter 81
Split from Aura in Sep 2024. Previously known as Pango/Anchorfree (Hotspot Shield creators). Complex restructuring history.
Formerly: Pango Group, Aura (pre-split), Anchorfree, iSubscribe
- Hotspot Shield Audited (1)
- Betternet
- TouchVPN
- Ultra VPN
Founded by CERN scientists. All apps open-source and independently audited. Subject to Swiss privacy law.
Formerly: Proton Technologies AG
- ProtonVPN Audited (2)
No-account, cash-payment VPN. WireGuard pioneer. Partnered with Mozilla for Mozilla VPN.
Formerly: Amagicom AB
- Mullvad VPN Audited (2)
Privacy-focused, open-source apps, no-log audited. Small independent operator.
- IVPN Audited (1)
Generous free tier, open-source, R.O.B.E.R.T. (DNS-level blocking). Independent.
- Windscribe
Antivirus giant, VPN bundled with security suite. Taken private by consortium led by Advent International for $14B in 2022.
Formerly: McAfee Associates, Network Associates, Intel Security
- McAfee Secure VPN
Subsidiary of Mozilla Foundation (non-profit). Mozilla VPN uses Mullvad's WireGuard network under a white-label agreement.
- Mozilla VPN Audited (1)
Italian privacy VPN. Custom open-source "Eddie" client. Popular in technical communities. Port forwarding support.
- AirVPN
Specializes in censorship bypass. StealthVPN protocol for China, UAE, Iran. Closed-source apps.
- Astrill VPN
Formed from NortonLifeLock's $8.6B acquisition of Avast. Largest consumer cybersecurity company by revenue.
Formerly: NortonLifeLock, Symantec Consumer
- Norton VPN
- Avast SecureLine VPN
- AVG Secure VPN
- HMA (HideMyAss) Audited (1)
Ukrainian-founded, US-incorporated. Development team in Odessa, Ukraine. Launched VPN Unlimited in 2013. Offered controversial lifetime deals. Launched KS Coin crypto token in 2025.
Formerly: Simplex Solutions Inc.
- VPN Unlimited
Acquired VyprVPN from Golden Frog GmbH (Switzerland) in 2023. The transfer silently moved VyprVPN from Swiss jurisdiction to US Five Eyes jurisdiction without public announcement.
- VyprVPN Audited (1)
All VPN Providers
| VPN Name | Parent Company | Jurisdiction | Founded | Acquired | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | Kape Technologies | British Virgin Islands | 2009 | Dec 2021 | No |
| CyberGhost | Kape Technologies | Romania | 2011 | Mar 2017 | No |
| Private Internet Access (PIA) | Kape Technologies | USA | 2010 | Nov 2019 | No |
| ZenMate | Kape Technologies | Germany | 2013 | Oct 2018 | No |
| NordVPN | Nord Security | Panama | 2012 | No | |
| Surfshark | Nord Security | Netherlands | 2018 | Feb 2022 | No |
| Atlas VPN | Nord Security | USA | 2019 | Oct 2021 | No |
| IPVanish | Ziff Davis | USA | 2012 | Jan 2019 | No |
| StrongVPN | Ziff Davis | USA | 2005 | Jan 2019 | No |
| Encrypt.me | Ziff Davis | USA | 2011 | Jan 2019 | No |
| Perimeter 81 | Ziff Davis | Israel / USA | 2018 | Jul 2023 | No |
| Hotspot Shield | Point Wild | USA | 2008 | No | |
| Betternet | Point Wild | USA | 2015 | No | |
| TouchVPN | Point Wild | USA | 2014 | No | |
| Ultra VPN | Point Wild | USA | 2018 | No | |
| ProtonVPN | Proton AG | Switzerland | 2017 | Yes | |
| Mullvad VPN | Mullvad VPN AB (Amagicom) | Sweden | 2009 | Yes | |
| IVPN | IVPN Limited | Gibraltar | 2009 | Yes | |
| Windscribe | Windscribe Limited | Canada | 2015 | Yes | |
| McAfee Secure VPN | McAfee Corp | USA | 2018 | No | |
| Norton VPN | Gen Digital | USA | 2018 | No | |
| Avast SecureLine VPN | Gen Digital | Czech Republic | 2014 | No | |
| AVG Secure VPN | Gen Digital | Czech Republic | 2015 | No | |
| HMA (HideMyAss) | Gen Digital | UK | 2005 | Jan 2016 | No |
| Mozilla VPN | Mozilla Corporation | USA | 2020 | Yes | |
| AirVPN | AirVPN (Paolo Brini & co.) | Italy | 2010 | Yes | |
| Astrill VPN | Astrill Systems Corp | Seychelles | 2009 | Yes | |
| VPN Unlimited | KeepSolid Inc. | 0 | No | ||
| VyprVPN | Certida | 0 | 2023 | No |
Sources: SEC filings, press releases, Companies House, corporate websites. Last researched: 2026-03-28. Report an error.
Update history
This page was revised 2 times in March 2026.
Added AirVPN, TorGuard, and VPN Unlimited to the independent providers table with jurisdiction, founding dates, and ownership links. Updated TunnelBear entry with link to McAfee corporate profile.
Added corporate ownership profiles for five major VPN parent companies (Kape Technologies, Nord Security, Ziff Davis, Point Wild, Gaditek) with acquisition timelines, legal details, and brand holdings.