Spyware Maker Nso Group Confirms Acquisition By Us Investors

Israeli spyware shaper NSO Group has confirmed to TechCrunch that a U.S. finance group has acquired nan company.  

NSO spokesperson Oded Hershowitz told TechCrunch connected Friday that “an American finance group has invested tens of millions of dollars successful nan institution and has acquired controlling ownership.” 

Confirmation of nan woody came soon aft Israeli tech news website Calcalist reported Friday that a group led by Hollywood shaper Robert Simonds agreed to acquisition nan surveillance tech shaper successful a woody weighted successful nan tens of millions of dollars.  

Hershowitz declined to specify nan magnitude invested, arsenic good arsenic who nan investors are.  

“This finance does not mean that nan institution is moving retired of Israeli regulatory aliases operational control,” said Hershowitz. “The company’s office and halfway operations stay successful Israel. It continues to beryllium afloat supervised and regulated by nan applicable Israeli authorities, including nan Ministry of Defense and nan Israeli regulatory framework.” 

(After sending nan messages, Hershowitz declared his comments “off nan record,” which requires some parties to work together to nan position successful advance. TechCrunch is publishing nan responses arsenic location was nary statement made.) 

In 2023, The Guardian reported that Simonds and an associate, done their finance firm, were exploring making a bid to return power of NSO. The woody ne'er materialized. 

Calcalist reported that arsenic portion of nan caller woody pinch Simonds, NSO’s co-founder and executive president Omri Lavie’s engagement pinch nan spyware shaper will end. 

Lavie did not instantly remark erstwhile contacted by TechCrunch. Neither Simonds, nor his Hollywood institution STX Entertainment, responded to our petition for comment, either. 

From a U.S. prohibition to U.S. ownership 

NSO Group has been mired successful contention since its very beginning. 

Researchers astatine nan integer authorities group from nan University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab, Amnesty International, and others, have for years documented dozens of cases wherever NSO’s authorities customers targeted and hacked journalists, dissidents, and quality authorities defenders successful Hungary, India, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Saudi Arabia, nan United Arab Emirates, among others.  

NSO has agelong claimed that its spyware is designed to not target U.S. telephone numbers, apt to debar hurting its chances to participate nan U.S. market. But nan institution was caught successful 2021 targeting astir a twelve U.S. authorities officials abroad. 

Soon after, the U.S. Commerce Department banned American companies from trading pinch NSO by putting nan spyware shaper connected nan U.S. Entities List. Since then, NSO has tried to get disconnected nan U.S. government’s blocklist, arsenic precocious arsenic May 2025, pinch the thief of a lobbying firm tied to nan Trump administration.  

John Scott-Railton, a elder interrogator astatine nan Citizen Lab who has helped analyse abuses of NSO’s spyware for a decade, told TechCrunch he is concerned astir nan acquisition. 

“NSO is simply a institution pinch a agelong history of going against American interests and supporting nan hacking of American officials. In what world tin specified a personification beryllium trusted to decently oversee a institution for illustration NSO Group?” said Scott-Railton, referring to Simonds.  

“Going further, my existent interest is that NSO has strenuously tried to participate nan United States and waste their merchandise to American constabulary forces successful U.S. cities. This dictator tech does not beryllium anyplace adjacent Americans, aliases our constitutionally protect[ed] authorities aliases freedoms.” 

NSO’s ownership has exchanged hands before.  

Originally founded by Niv Karmi, Shalev Hulio, and Omri Lavie, NSO Group was acquired by U.S. backstage equity patient Francisco Partners successful 2014. Lavie and Hulio retook power of nan company successful 2019 pinch thief from European backstage equity patient Novalpina. Then, successful 2021, the California-based Berkeley Research Group took complete management of nan fund. In 2023, Lavie retook control of NSO arsenic mostly owner.