Difference between revisions of "Cellebrite"
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{{short description|'''Israeli mobile forensics company'''}} | {{short description|'''Israeli mobile forensics company'''}} | ||
| − | {{Infobox | + | {{Infobox organization |
| − | | name = Cellebrite | + | | name = [[Cellebrite]] |
| + | | logo = Logo of Cellebrite (2021).png | ||
| + | | caption = Cellebrite logo (public-domain simple logo). | ||
| type = Public (Nasdaq) | | type = Public (Nasdaq) | ||
| − | | | + | | founder = [[Avi Yablonka]], [[Yaron Baratz]], [[Yuval Aflalo]] <ref name="CtechCell" /> |
| − | | key_people = [[ | + | | headquarters = 94 Shlomo Shmelzer Road, Petah Tikva 4970602, Israel (principal executive office in August 2026 filing) <ref name="PB8CellCEO">Cellebrite DI Ltd., [https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1854587/000121390026089232/ea0302091-6k_cellebrite.htm Form 6-K], ''US Securities and Exchange Commission'', 13 August 2026, explanatory note, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> |
| − | | | + | | services = Device extraction, digital forensics and investigative analysis |
| + | | key_people = [[Shiven Ramji]] (CEO from 13 August 2026) <ref name="PB8CellCEO" /> | ||
| + | | remarks = Industry: Mobile forensics / digital intelligence; Founders sold their shares to [[Sun Corporation]], according to the January 2025 Carmil interview <ref name="CtechCell" /> | ||
}} | }} | ||
| − | '''Cellebrite''' is an Israeli mobile forensics and digital intelligence company. It sells tools used by law-enforcement and other agencies to extract and analyse data from mobile devices. Outgoing chief executive [[Yossi Carmil]], in a January 2025 ''Ctech'' interview, described a nineteen-year tenure during which the company grew from a bootstrapped startup into a publicly traded multi-billion-dollar business. Carmil was "a lieutenant colonel in the paratroopers, serving under Benny Gantz as his battalion commander" before later working at the Ministry of Defence and in Europe.<ref name="CtechCell">Sophie Shulman, [https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/lhck15vtj From bootstrapped startup to a $5B powerhouse: Cellebrite's outgoing CEO reflects on], ''Ctech'', 29 January 2025.</ref> | + | '''[[Cellebrite]]''' is an Israeli mobile forensics and digital intelligence company. It sells tools used by law-enforcement and other agencies to extract and analyse data from mobile devices. Outgoing chief executive [[Yossi Carmil]], in a January 2025 ''Ctech'' interview, described a nineteen-year tenure during which the company grew from a bootstrapped startup into a publicly traded multi-billion-dollar business. Carmil was "a lieutenant colonel in the paratroopers, serving under Benny Gantz as his battalion commander" before later working at the [[Ministry of Defence]] and in Europe.<ref name="CtechCell">Sophie Shulman, [https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/lhck15vtj From bootstrapped startup to a $5B powerhouse: Cellebrite's outgoing CEO reflects on], ''Ctech'', 29 January 2025.</ref> |
== Ownership and sales policy == | == Ownership and sales policy == | ||
| − | According to the same interview, founders Avi Yablonka, Yaron Baratz and Yuval Aflalo sold their shares to Japan's Sun Corporation for $17.5 million; Carmil remained with the company.<ref name="CtechCell"/> | + | According to the same interview, founders [[Avi Yablonka]], [[Yaron Baratz]] and [[Yuval Aflalo]] sold their shares to Japan's [[Sun Corporation]] for $17.5 million; Carmil remained with the company.<ref name="CtechCell"/> |
| − | In March 2021 Cellebrite announced that it was stopping sales of its digital intelligence offerings in the Russian Federation and Belarus.<ref name="CellRussia">Cellebrite, [https://cellebrite.com/en/resources/press-releases/cellebrite-stops-selling-its-digital-intelligence-offerings-in-russian-federation-and-belarus/ Cellebrite Stops Selling Its Digital Intelligence Offerings in Russian Federation and Belarus], 18 March 2021.</ref> | + | In March 2021 [[Cellebrite]] announced that it was stopping sales of its digital intelligence offerings in the Russian Federation and Belarus.<ref name="CellRussia">Cellebrite, [https://cellebrite.com/en/resources/press-releases/cellebrite-stops-selling-its-digital-intelligence-offerings-in-russian-federation-and-belarus/ Cellebrite Stops Selling Its Digital Intelligence Offerings in Russian Federation and Belarus], 18 March 2021.</ref> |
| + | |||
| + | ==Products and the distinction from remote spyware== | ||
| + | [[Citizen Lab]] describes [[Cellebrite]]'s [[Universal Forensic Extraction Device]] (UFED) range as tools for extracting data from devices in an investigator's possession, including where the owner has not consented or supplied a passcode. Extraction can involve exploiting vulnerabilities or bypassing a lock; the amount accessible depends on the device, software version and whether it has been unlocked since its last restart. This differs from remotely delivered implants such as [[NSO Group]]'s [[Pegasus]], although both can expose private communications.<ref name="PB8CellJordan">Citizen Lab, [https://citizenlab.ca/research/from-protest-to-peril-cellebrite-used-against-jordanian-civil-society/ From Protest to Peril: Cellebrite Used Against Jordanian Civil Society], ''Citizen Lab'', 22 January 2026, key findings and sections 2–6, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[Antony Loewenstein]] discusses the use of mobile extraction against asylum seekers, including efforts to reconstruct routes and contacts from their phones, and raises questions about consent and proportionality. He also records [[Eitay Mack]]'s argument that the difference between short-distance forensic extraction and remote spyware does not remove the risks for activists. These are the author's and interviewee's assessments, rather than a finding that every forensic examination is unlawful.<ref name="PB8LowCell">Antony Loewenstein, ''The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World'', London: Verso, 2023, chapter 4, “Selling Israeli Occupation to the World”, paragraph beginning “The Israeli surveillance firm Cellebrite has sold its digital data extraction devices”, and chapter 6, paragraph beginning “It is not only NSO that’s causing harm around the globe”.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Forensic investigations of use against civil society== | ||
| + | ===Jordan=== | ||
| + | On 22 January 2026 [[Citizen Lab]] reported seven cases involving Jordanian activists and civil society: forensic examinations of four devices and three court records describing extractions. It attributed the device traces to [[Cellebrite]] products with high confidence. The cases occurred in late 2023–mid-2025, in the context of protests supporting Palestinians in Gaza. Citizen Lab argued that prosecutions under Jordan's Cybercrime Law did not, by themselves, establish that the extraction met international human-rights standards.<ref name="PB8CellJordan" /> | ||
| + | |||
| + | Cellebrite's public-relations representatives responded to Citizen Lab in January 2026 but declined to discuss individual cases as a matter of policy. The report reproduces the correspondence and distinguishes the company's policy statements from evidence about the particular extractions.<ref name="PB8CellJordan" /> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Russia=== | ||
| + | In June 2026 [[Citizen Lab]] reported finding [[Cellebrite]]-related forensic traces on [[Andrey Pivovarov]]'s iPhone dating to approximately 17 June 2021, while it was held by Russian authorities. An official forensic report supplied by Pivovarov also identified UFED Physical Analyzer and UFED 4PC as the tools used. Citizen Lab noted that the examination post-dated the company's March 2021 cancellation of Russian contracts and explained that historic offline functionality could remain usable after updates ceased. This establishes use of the tools after cancellation, not a new sale by Cellebrite to the Russian authorities.<ref name="PB8CellRussia">Citizen Lab, [https://citizenlab.ca/research/russia-breaks-into-human-rights-activists-phone-with-cellebrite/ Russia Breaks Into Human Rights Activist’s Phone With Cellebrite], ''Citizen Lab'', 25 June 2026, sections “Russian Authorities Access Pivovarov’s iPhone With Cellebrite” and “Official Documents Confirm Cellebrite Use”, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==People and corporate development== | ||
| + | {| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| + | |+ Founders and selected leadership milestones | ||
| + | ! Name !! Role !! Period or dated record !! Source | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Avi Yablonka]], [[Yaron Baratz]], [[Yuval Aflalo]] || Founders identified in the Carmil interview || Shares subsequently sold to [[Sun Corporation]] || <ref name="CtechCell" /> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Yossi Carmil]] || Chief executive || Nineteen-year tenure, ending in early 2025 || <ref name="CtechCell" /> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Thomas E. Hogan]] || Chief executive, subsequently adviser || CEO until 13 August 2026; agreed a six-month advisory period || <ref name="PB8CellCEO" /> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Shiven Ramji]] || Chief executive || Appointed effective 13 August 2026 || <ref name="PB8CellCEO" /> | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===2025 results and acquisitions=== | ||
| + | [[Cellebrite]] reported that it completed its acquisition of [[Corellium]] on 1 December 2025. It said that Corellium contributed US$16.1 million to year-end annual recurring revenue; the group distinguished that contribution from organic growth. In February 2026 it also announced an agreement to buy [[SCG Canada]], a provider of portable drone-forensics tools. The announcement described the latter deal as awaiting completion, not as an acquisition already closed.<ref name="PB8CellResults">Cellebrite, [https://investors.cellebrite.com/news-releases/news-release-details/cellebrite-announces-record-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2025 Cellebrite Announces Record Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results], ''Cellebrite investor relations'', 11 February 2026, full-year highlights and business highlights, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | {| class="wikitable" | ||
| + | |+ Financial results for year ended 31 December 2025 (US dollars) | ||
| + | ! Measure !! Amount !! Definition or qualification | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | Revenue || US$475.7 million || Recognised annual revenue <ref name="PB8CellResults" /> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | Subscription revenue || US$427.0 million || Component of revenue <ref name="PB8CellResults" /> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | Net income || US$78.3 million || GAAP <ref name="PB8CellResults" /> | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | Annual recurring revenue || US$480.8 million || Annualised contract metric at year-end, not annual revenue <ref name="PB8CellResults" /> | ||
| + | |} | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
Latest revision as of 08:17, 8 November 2026
Israeli mobile forensics company
| Cellebrite
| |
|---|---|
| Logo | .png){kind=small} Cellebrite logo (public-domain simple logo). |
| Type | Public (Nasdaq) |
| Founder(s) | Avi Yablonka, Yaron Baratz, Yuval Aflalo [1] |
| Headquarters | 94 Shlomo Shmelzer Road, Petah Tikva 4970602, Israel (principal executive office in August 2026 filing) [2] |
| Services | Device extraction, digital forensics and investigative analysis |
| Key people | Shiven Ramji (CEO from 13 August 2026) [2] |
| Remarks | Industry: Mobile forensics / digital intelligence; Founders sold their shares to Sun Corporation, according to the January 2025 Carmil interview [1] |
Cellebrite is an Israeli mobile forensics and digital intelligence company. It sells tools used by law-enforcement and other agencies to extract and analyse data from mobile devices. Outgoing chief executive Yossi Carmil, in a January 2025 Ctech interview, described a nineteen-year tenure during which the company grew from a bootstrapped startup into a publicly traded multi-billion-dollar business. Carmil was "a lieutenant colonel in the paratroopers, serving under Benny Gantz as his battalion commander" before later working at the Ministry of Defence and in Europe.[1]
Ownership and sales policy
According to the same interview, founders Avi Yablonka, Yaron Baratz and Yuval Aflalo sold their shares to Japan's Sun Corporation for $17.5 million; Carmil remained with the company.[1]
In March 2021 Cellebrite announced that it was stopping sales of its digital intelligence offerings in the Russian Federation and Belarus.[3]
Products and the distinction from remote spyware
Citizen Lab describes Cellebrite's Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED) range as tools for extracting data from devices in an investigator's possession, including where the owner has not consented or supplied a passcode. Extraction can involve exploiting vulnerabilities or bypassing a lock; the amount accessible depends on the device, software version and whether it has been unlocked since its last restart. This differs from remotely delivered implants such as NSO Group's Pegasus, although both can expose private communications.[4]
Antony Loewenstein discusses the use of mobile extraction against asylum seekers, including efforts to reconstruct routes and contacts from their phones, and raises questions about consent and proportionality. He also records Eitay Mack's argument that the difference between short-distance forensic extraction and remote spyware does not remove the risks for activists. These are the author's and interviewee's assessments, rather than a finding that every forensic examination is unlawful.[5]
Forensic investigations of use against civil society
Jordan
On 22 January 2026 Citizen Lab reported seven cases involving Jordanian activists and civil society: forensic examinations of four devices and three court records describing extractions. It attributed the device traces to Cellebrite products with high confidence. The cases occurred in late 2023–mid-2025, in the context of protests supporting Palestinians in Gaza. Citizen Lab argued that prosecutions under Jordan's Cybercrime Law did not, by themselves, establish that the extraction met international human-rights standards.[4]
Cellebrite's public-relations representatives responded to Citizen Lab in January 2026 but declined to discuss individual cases as a matter of policy. The report reproduces the correspondence and distinguishes the company's policy statements from evidence about the particular extractions.[4]
Russia
In June 2026 Citizen Lab reported finding Cellebrite-related forensic traces on Andrey Pivovarov's iPhone dating to approximately 17 June 2021, while it was held by Russian authorities. An official forensic report supplied by Pivovarov also identified UFED Physical Analyzer and UFED 4PC as the tools used. Citizen Lab noted that the examination post-dated the company's March 2021 cancellation of Russian contracts and explained that historic offline functionality could remain usable after updates ceased. This establishes use of the tools after cancellation, not a new sale by Cellebrite to the Russian authorities.[6]
People and corporate development
| Name | Role | Period or dated record | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avi Yablonka, Yaron Baratz, Yuval Aflalo | Founders identified in the Carmil interview | Shares subsequently sold to Sun Corporation | [1] |
| Yossi Carmil | Chief executive | Nineteen-year tenure, ending in early 2025 | [1] |
| Thomas E. Hogan | Chief executive, subsequently adviser | CEO until 13 August 2026; agreed a six-month advisory period | [2] |
| Shiven Ramji | Chief executive | Appointed effective 13 August 2026 | [2] |
2025 results and acquisitions
Cellebrite reported that it completed its acquisition of Corellium on 1 December 2025. It said that Corellium contributed US$16.1 million to year-end annual recurring revenue; the group distinguished that contribution from organic growth. In February 2026 it also announced an agreement to buy SCG Canada, a provider of portable drone-forensics tools. The announcement described the latter deal as awaiting completion, not as an acquisition already closed.[7]
| Measure | Amount | Definition or qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | US$475.7 million | Recognised annual revenue [7] |
| Subscription revenue | US$427.0 million | Component of revenue [7] |
| Net income | US$78.3 million | GAAP [7] |
| Annual recurring revenue | US$480.8 million | Annualised contract metric at year-end, not annual revenue [7] |
See also
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Sophie Shulman, From bootstrapped startup to a $5B powerhouse: Cellebrite's outgoing CEO reflects on, Ctech, 29 January 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Cellebrite DI Ltd., Form 6-K, US Securities and Exchange Commission, 13 August 2026, explanatory note, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Cellebrite, Cellebrite Stops Selling Its Digital Intelligence Offerings in Russian Federation and Belarus, 18 March 2021.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Citizen Lab, From Protest to Peril: Cellebrite Used Against Jordanian Civil Society, Citizen Lab, 22 January 2026, key findings and sections 2–6, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Antony Loewenstein, The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World, London: Verso, 2023, chapter 4, “Selling Israeli Occupation to the World”, paragraph beginning “The Israeli surveillance firm Cellebrite has sold its digital data extraction devices”, and chapter 6, paragraph beginning “It is not only NSO that’s causing harm around the globe”.
- ↑ Citizen Lab, Russia Breaks Into Human Rights Activist’s Phone With Cellebrite, Citizen Lab, 25 June 2026, sections “Russian Authorities Access Pivovarov’s iPhone With Cellebrite” and “Official Documents Confirm Cellebrite Use”, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Cellebrite, Cellebrite Announces Record Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results, Cellebrite investor relations, 11 February 2026, full-year highlights and business highlights, accessed 8 November 2026.