Commtouch / CYREN (Email Security)
firmThe Blackmail Network · Nations & Geopolitics
An Israeli email-security firm run by a Maxwell daughter shows how intelligence-veteran startups got quietly wired into Western tech.
Who they are
Commtouch (later renamed CYREN), an Israeli email and messaging security firm, with Isabel Maxwell as president 1997-2001.
What they do
The engine files it as part of the Maxwell apparatus — a security company staffed by military and intelligence veterans.
How it works
It was founded in Israel on Feb 10, 1991 by Gideon Mantel (a former IDF special-bomb-squad officer), staffed with military and intelligence veterans, and backed by Gemini Israel Ventures (the first Yozma-program fund); it took a roughly $20M investment in 1999 from Go2Net and Paul Allen's Vulcan Ventures (specifically NOT Bill Gates), and was renamed CYREN in 2014.
Why it matters
It's a fact-checked data point in the engine's map of how intelligence-linked Israeli tech startups connected to Western capital and the Maxwell network.
The engine's record — word for word
[Report #109 — Maxwell Apparatus] Israeli email/messaging-security firm; Isabel Maxwell president 1997-2001. Founded Israel 10 Feb 1991 by Gideon Mantel (ex-IDF special-bomb-squad officer), staffed with military/intelligence veterans; backed by Gemini Israel Ventures (first Yozma-program fund). ~$20M 1999 investment from Go2Net + Vulcan Ventures (Paul Allen) — NOT Bill Gates. Renamed CYREN 2014. [Fact-checked Jun 17 2026.]
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