Cellebrite acquires Corellium in €185 million cyber deal

Cellebrite confirms € 185 million acquisition

Cellebrite, an Israeli digital intelligence firm best known for helping law enforcement extract data from locked devices, has confirmed the acquisition of Corellium for € 185 million. The purchase includes € 139 million in cash, € 18.5 million in restricted shares, and a further € 27.5 million contingent on future performance.

Chris Wade joins Cellebrite as CTO

Corellium founder Chris Wade, now appointed CTO at Cellebrite, has had a controversial journey. Once pardoned by President Trump over a prior cybercrime case, Wade avoided jail time and assisted the Department of Justice on cyber investigations. Cellebrite CEO Tom Hogan downplayed any controversy, highlighting Wade’s government collaboration as “a bold testimonial.”

Merger strengthens law enforcement capabilities

Cellebrite already serves 1.5 million investigations per year. By adding Corellium’s virtualization software, the company aims to streamline exploit discovery and evidence collection. This includes the upcoming “Mirror” product, enabling law enforcement to recreate seized devices virtually, unlocking data access from otherwise incompatible apps.

Private clients will still be supported

While Corellium is being integrated into Cellebrite, its software will continue to be offered to corporate clients such as Santander and L3Harris. Wade confirmed continued support for both public and private users.

AI tool to detect spyware on phones

The two firms have also collaborated on a new AI-based service designed to identify state-sponsored spyware. By scanning virtual replicas of smartphones, the AI can detect foreign code or irregular system activity. Wade called it “something that's never been done before.”