Nord Security owns NordVPN. NordVPN’s own FAQ says so (“Nord Security, a global cybersecurity company, owns NordVPN”) and places the parent company’s headquarters in Lithuania. The company that provides the service and holds your contract is nordvpn S.A., which NordVPN’s terms list at an address in Panama City. Nord Security and Surfshark completed a merger in 2022, forming a group of companies, but the merger announcement said the two brands would keep operating independently.
Everything here comes from NordVPN’s and Nord Security’s own pages, checked on 13 October 2026. We did not check company registries in Panama or Lithuania.
The company behind a NordVPN subscription
NordVPN’s General Terms of Service (updated 10 August 2026) define “Nord,” “we” and “us” as nordvpn S.A., at PH F&F Tower, 50th Street & 56th Street, Suite #32-D, Floor 32, Panama City, Republic of Panama. Its privacy policy names the same company as the data controller for your personal data. NordSec B.V. in Amsterdam acts as its representative in the European Economic Area under the GDPR and as its legal representative under the EU’s Digital Services Act.
The contract is governed by Panama law, with an exception the terms spell out: “some countries (including countries of the European Union) have laws that require contracts to be governed by the mandatory provisions of the local laws of the consumer’s country.”
The terms also say purchases “may be handled by different payment companies.” For residents of the United States and Mexico, that is mainly Lagosec, Inc., of Delaware. Others include NordSec B.V. for PayPal payments in the EU, Moonflash Limited in the UK, and companies in Brazil, Japan, Australia and Canada. These companies take payments; they aren’t the provider, though one of their names may be what appears on a card statement.
Nord Security, the parent company
NordVPN’s FAQ lists offices in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Switzerland and Panama, and adds that “its parent company, Nord Security, is headquartered in Lithuania.” Nord Security’s careers page refers to “our Vilnius HQ,” and NordVPN’s site footer reads “© 2026 Nord Security.”
NordVPN is one of several Nord Security products; the same FAQ names NordLayer, NordPass, Saily and NordStellar. Atlas VPN, which Nord Security bought in October 2021, ended its service on 24 April 2024 and moved its users to NordVPN.
Who founded NordVPN?
Nord Security’s own pages don’t agree on the number of founders:
- Its About page lists three co-founders: Tomas Okmanas, Eimantas Sabaliauskas and Jonas Karklys.
- Its 2022 funding announcement says Nord Security “was founded in Lithuania in 2012 by Tom Okman (co-CEO) and Eimantas Sabaliauskas (co-CEO),” and the 2023 one names the same two as “co-founders and co-CEOs.”
- NordVPN’s site says the service “was launched by childhood friends in 2012.”
Nord Security’s timeline dates NordVPN to 2012, when it launched as a Windows configuration, with the NordVPN app following in 2013. We report both founder lists rather than choose between them.
Investors and valuation
Nord Security took its first outside capital in 2022. Its announcements give these figures:
| Announced | Amount | Investors named | Stated valuation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 April 2022 | $100 million, its first outside capital | Led by Novator Ventures, with Burda Principal Investments and General Catalyst; angel investors Ilkka Paananen, Miki Kuusi and Matt Mullenweg | $1.6 billion |
| 28 September 2023 | $100 million | Warburg Pincus, with existing investors Novator Ventures and Burda Principal Investments | $3 billion, which it called a doubling |
At the time, the company described itself as a 1,700-person team (2022) and around 2,000 professionals (2023); neither is a current figure. We have no documented ownership percentages, so we can’t say how much of Nord Security the founders or the investors hold.
NordVPN and Surfshark: the 2022 merger
On 2 February 2022, NordVPN’s blog announced that Nord Security and Surfshark had “finalized a merger agreement,” ending a process that started in mid-2021. The same post said: “Nord Security and Surfshark will continue to operate autonomously, relying on separate infrastructures and product roadmaps,” and that “Both brands will continue to operate independently.” Nord Security’s 2023 funding announcement says that in 2022 it formed a group of companies with Surfshark.
Are NordVPN and Surfshark the same company?
No. They are separate companies and services that joined the same group in 2022. NordVPN is provided by nordvpn S.A., and the merger announcement said Surfshark would keep its own infrastructure, product roadmap and user base. In practice, the two sell separate subscriptions with their own prices, device limits and refund rules.
Our page on who owns Surfshark covers Surfshark’s side of the group, and NordVPN vs Surfshark compares the two services by cost, devices and app controls.
Is NordVPN Israeli?
No documented ownership fact points to Israel. NordVPN’s provider, nordvpn S.A., gives a Panama City address in its terms; its parent, Nord Security, says it was founded in Lithuania in 2012 and is headquartered there. We found no major news outlet or regulator that addresses an Israeli-ownership claim, so there is nothing reputable to weigh against the company’s own records.
What ownership means for a NordVPN buyer
For a subscriber, the practical points are short. Your contract and your personal data sit with nordvpn S.A.; a US card statement may show Lagosec, Inc.; and cancellation and refunds follow NordVPN’s own terms, whichever group the brand belongs to. Ownership doesn’t tell you what the service records, so read is NordVPN safe? for its no-logs policy, audits and the 2018 server breach.
If the company checks out for you, NordVPN’s current offer (affiliate link) shows the full bill before you pay, and our NordVPN review covers whether its features fit your devices.
Common questions
Who is the CEO of NordVPN?
Nord Security’s 2022 and 2023 funding announcements describe Tom Okman and Eimantas Sabaliauskas as its co-CEOs. We haven’t verified the current leadership beyond those posts.
Where is NordVPN based?
The provider, nordvpn S.A., gives an address in Panama City, and the parent company, Nord Security, is headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania. NordVPN also lists offices in the UK, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Switzerland and Panama.
Who owns NordVPN and Surfshark?
They joined one group of companies through the 2022 merger of Nord Security and Surfshark. The merger announcement said the brands would operate independently, with separate infrastructure, product roadmaps and user bases. We have no documented breakdown of who holds what share of the group.
When was NordVPN founded?
NordVPN’s FAQ says the service was created in 2012, and Nord Security’s timeline says it launched that year as a Windows configuration, with the app following in 2013. Nord Security says it was founded in Lithuania the same year.
Sources and check date
Official sources checked 13 October 2026. Provider terms, app releases and localized offers can change. Documented features are not independent test results.
- NordVPN: General Terms of Service (provider, governing law, payment companies)
- NordVPN: Privacy Policy (data controller and EEA representative)
- NordVPN: Additional Terms (Digital Services Act representative)
- NordVPN: About us and ownership FAQ
- Nord Security: About us (co-founders)
- Nord Security: Careers (Vilnius HQ)
- Nord Security: First outside capital at a $1.6B valuation (7 April 2022)
- Nord Security: $100M round at a $3B valuation (28 September 2023)
- NordVPN: Nord Security and Surfshark merger agreement (2 February 2022)
- Nord Security: Announcement on Atlas VPN (March 2024)