Paragon was founded in 2019 by veterans of the powerful Intelligence Unit 8200 of the Israel Defense Forces with the active participation of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak as an investor who is My dear own a considerable portion of the company.
the company has investment received of Boston-based Battery Ventures, “considered one of the world’s leading venture capital firms,” and two of its founders formerly worked for Blumberg Capitalanother large American venture capital firm.
Israeli media reported in June that a US private equity fund with a portfolio of security companies has been in talks to acquire control of Paragon, estimating its valuation at $1 billion.
To ensure its unique, US-approved “ethical” positioning, Paragon has made “deliberate efforts” since its inception to enter the US market. grades the Atlantic Council.
In 2019, while Paragon was developing Graphite, the company recruited WestExec Advisors, a prominent Washington, DC consulting firm co-founded by former Obama administration officials, including current US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, to advise on its “strategic approach to the U.S. and European markets,” a company executive said. said the Financial Times. Avril Haines, a former WestExec employee, is now director of US national intelligence.
To remain in the “good graces” of the US government, Paragon in February 2023 contracted another DC-based lobbying firm, Holland & Knight, “with a good track record of avoiding sanctions,” as some information indicate. Lobbying Expense Disclosure Reveals Minimum Spending of $280,000 on 2023 and 2024 for this campaign.
The fact that the spyware vendor has not been placed on an entity list nor have any of its executives been sanctioned by the Biden administration suggests that Paragon’s lobbying efforts have been successful.
Additionally, Biden’s executive order leaves enough room for the deployment of tools like Graphite. When a senior US administration official was asked Specifically on potential abuses of Paragon’s flagship product, they said the executive order “requires agency heads to review any activity that may be relevant,” without excluding the possibility of legal use.
Meanwhile, the company continues to grow and is advertising various roles in Israel. In the United States, Paragon boosted his presence following the signing of the executive order and began hiring intelligence veterans, including former CIA and FBI officers, into its subsidiary, “in hopes of landing new business.” New reports for February 2024 confirmed constant growth.
Paragon’s $2 million contract with ICE is tangible proof that the company’s approach is paying off. It remains to be seen whether Graphite’s deployment will align with the protection of human rights, privacy and democracy.
