Cellebrite, a company that makes forensic equipment for unlocking smartphones, said it is acquiring mobile testing startup Corellium for $170 million in cash, with $20 million converted to equity at closing.
The Israel-headquartered Cellebrite said the deal would help with the “accelerated identification of mobile vulnerabilities and exploits.” Much of Cellebrite’s technology relies on using unknown vulnerabilities, such as zero-day exploits, to unlock encrypted data stored on phones.
For its part, Corellium provides its customers access to virtual, cloud-based Android and iOS devices for app and security testing, an offering that Apple for a time sought to block.
A Cellebrite spokesperson told TechCrunch that the deal is expected to close later this year, subject to a review from CFIUS, the U.S. government committee tasked with handling corporate deals that could affect national security.
