Kape Technologies Owns ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and PIA

VPNA virtual private network encrypts traffic between your device and a provider-run server, hiding activity from local networks while shifting trust to the VPN operator.Glossary →OwnershipOPSECOperational security is the practice of minimizing information leaks across behavior, devices, accounts, payments, and routines that can expose identity or intent.Glossary →March 2026~9 min read

Key points

  • Kape built a VPN portfolio through acquisitions.
  • The company used to be called Crossrider, a name tied to browser monetization and adware-era baggage.
  • If a VPN wants your traffic, its ownership history matters.
Crossrider
Former name
kape.com
$936M
ExpressVPN deal
kape.com
ExpressVPN + PIA + CyberGhost
Major brands
kape.com
Trust concentration
Core user risk
privacyguides.org

Kape matters because privacy branding can hide concentration. Users think they are comparing rivals. Often they are choosing labels owned by one parent.

The company used to be called Crossrider. The old name was tied to a browser-extension platform and adware baggage that privacy researchers did not forget. Kape then rebranded and bought CyberGhost in 2017, ZenMate in 2018, PIA in 2019, and ExpressVPN in 2021.

1
Ownership comes first. A VPN can see useful traffic metadataData about data, such as who contacted whom, when, from what device, and from which location. Metadata often remains exposed even when content is encrypted.Glossary → and shape DNS, exit reputation, and legal exposure. If you would check who owns your bank, check who owns your VPN.
2
Kape got big by buying trust. It bought brands people already knew, kept the labels, and let most users miss the parent company behind them.
3
The Crossrider history still matters. A rebrand can mark real change. It can also help customers forget old incentives. In privacy markets, that history deserves scrutiny.
4
Audits do not fix structure. Some Kape-owned brands have paid for useful third-party audits. Good. That still is not the same as independent ownership or a long record of putting users first.
5
The real issue is trust concentration. If a few groups own most of the brands people bounce between, the competition is thinner than it looks.

The public record is plain

Kape's investor materials lay out the acquisition trail. The ExpressVPN deal mattered because ExpressVPN had strong privacy branding. By then, PIA and CyberGhost had already given Kape a large share of the consumer VPN market.

$VPN buyer checklist
Ownership
Know the parent company, investors, and acquisition history.
Technical proof
Prefer public audits, reproducible apps, and minimized server-side logging.
Threat model
A VPN helps against local observers, not against sloppy identity leaks.
Compartmentation
Do not rely on one commercial VPN brand as your whole privacy strategy.

What matters

Kape shows how this market works. A company with a messy history can buy trusted brands, centralize trust, and sell a cleaner story. A VPN can still help. Polished design and a no-logs slogan are not enough.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Kape Technologies?

Kape Technologies is the parent company behind several big consumer VPN brands, including CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, ZenMate, and ExpressVPN. It used to operate under the name Crossrider.

Why is Kape controversial?

Its earlier Crossrider history still matters, and ownership matters even more when a company asks users to send all traffic through its servers.

Did Kape buy ExpressVPN?

Yes. Kape announced the ExpressVPN acquisition in 2021 for about 936 million dollars in cash and shares.

Does that automatically make the VPNs unsafe?

No. It means you should check ownership, audits, logging claims, transparency, and your own threat model instead of trusting the brand alone.

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