ExpressVPN has been acquired by cybersecurity multinational Kape Technologies for $936 million

The acquisition puts ExpressVPN in line with competitors Private Internet Access, CyberGhost, and Zenmate, and gives Kape control of a significant portion of the market's largest provider

With the addition of ExpressVPN's 3 million subscribers, the number of paying VPN customers under Kape has doubled to over 6 million, a number that is expected to grow further as VPNs continue to surge in popularity

ExpressVPN, which has held the top spot in numerous best-of guides online for some time, including ours, is a well-respected company known for privacy innovations like its RAM-only TrustedServer technology and new open source Lightway protocol

However, ExpressVPN has been a leader for some time

However, the British Virgin Islands-based provider has been notoriously private about its operations throughout its history Indeed, Kape's statement to the London Stock Exchange is the first time we have seen figures on ExpressVPN's customer numbers, location spread (40% US-based), revenue ($2794 million in 2020), and growth rate (37% in 2020)

So while ExpressVPN was certainly not in dire straits, the massive financial power that Kape brings should allow developers to be more innovative and reinforce their best-in-class reputation

Speaking to TechRadar, ExpressVPN co-founder Dan Pomerantz said, "ExpressVPN will remain an independent service, run by an existing team, with its own product development roadmap, but with Kape's support accelerate that," he said

The situation is unlikely to change anytime soon for ExpressVPN's customers

Kape Technologies, owned by Israeli billionaire Teddy Sagi (founder of Playtech and owner of Camden Market in London), describes itself as a "global privacy and security company"

Over the past few years, Kape has acquired high-end VPN providers and developed a reputation as a security brand, though that reputation has not been entirely positive

This skepticism stems from Kape's roots in the notorious adware program Crossrider; while the relationship with Crossrider is now believed to have been completely erased, many users believe that the former adware creator is not considered to occupy a legitimate position in the cybersecurity world

Both Kape and ExpressVPN have made every effort to ensure that all VPNs under the Kape banner maintain operational and technical autonomy; from the PIA and CyberGhost review process, it is clear that both providers have been working together for years after the acquisition to quality privacy policies and reliable products

Various VPNs and VPN-related sites have been acquired in recent years, often by just two companies; Kape Technologies now owns ExpressVPN, the aforementioned VPN, and VPN review site VPNMentor Another company, J2Global, owns IPVanish, StrongVPN, and BufferedVPN, as well as PC Mag

Some providers, notably the well-known NordVPN, have remained independent, but with the growing thirst for VPNs, and with a whopping $1 billion on the table, it would not be surprising to hear of more acquisitions in the near future