KELA
Israeli cyber-threat-intelligence and dark-web monitoring company in Tel Aviv, founded in 2009 by veterans of Unit 8200 and its associated R&D units; sells to governments and law enforcement
| KELA
| |
|---|---|
| Trade name | KELA Group (KELA Cyber) |
| Logo |  KELA logo |
| Type | Private company |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder(s) | Nir Barak, Yigal Naveh, Eran Shtauber |
| Headquarters | Tel Aviv, Israel; subsidiary in Japan |
| Industry | Cyber threat intelligence |
| Services | Dark-web and cybercrime monitoring (RaDark); threat-exposure management; services for governments and law enforcement |
| Homepage | kelacyber.com |
KELA (KELA Group, also KELA Cyber) is an Israeli cyber-intelligence company based in Tel Aviv that monitors the "darknet" and cybercrime forums and sells intelligence on threats to companies, government agencies and law enforcement.[1][2] According to Globes, it was founded in 2009 by Nir Barak, Yigal Naveh and Eran Shtauber, "Israeli intelligence veterans from Unit 8200 and its associated R&D units" (Unit 8200).[1] The company says that its "roots in elite intelligence units provide unmatched insight and capabilities".[2]
History
In May 2018 the San Francisco private-equity firm Vector Capital made a $50 million minority investment in KELA, which Globes described as the first institutional funding the company had received since it was set up in 2009. Globes said that KELA provided "advanced cyber intelligence software and solutions to enterprises and governmental agencies around the world", and that its platform, RaDark, used "elite Israeli intelligence expertise to provide extremely targeted and automated darknet monitoring" for large companies and governments.[1]
Customers
KELA says that it serves "enterprises, MSSPs, government agencies, and law enforcement", and its website has a section for "Gov & Law Enforcement" customers and lists "Cybercrime Investigation" among its services.[2]
People and military service
Globes described the three founders as "Israeli intelligence veterans from Unit 8200 and its associated R&D units" (Unit 8200; Intelligence Corps).[1]
| Name | Role | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nir Barak | Founder; chief executive of KELA Group | [2][1] |
| Davidi Carmiel | Co-founder; chief executive of KELA | [2] |
| Itsik Kesler | Chief technology officer | [2] |
| Doron Levit | Chief executive, KELA Japan | [2] |
| Yuji Hirokawa | President and chief operating officer, KELA Japan | [2] |
| Yigal Naveh | Co-founder (2018) | [1] |
| Eran Shtauber | Co-founder (2018) | [1] |