ARX

In 1987, Professor Amos Fiat and Yossi Tulpan founded Algorithmic Research, or ARX, a company focused on digital security and encryption-based products. For its first decade, the Israeli firm developed a range of technologies, from smartcards to VPNs, leading to an acquisition in 1997 by Cylink Corp. The story took a turn when the dot-com bubble burst. In 2001, after its parent company failed, ARX underwent a management buyout led by Dr. Gadi Aharoni. Aharoni repositioned the company to focus on a new frontier: digital signatures. The flagship product, CoSign, provided a secure, verifiable way to sign documents digitally, a critical need for industries like finance, healthcare, and government. This strategic pivot proved successful. CoSign became a trusted name in digital security, known for its compliance with stringent international standards. The company's expertise did not go unnoticed. After a three-year partnership, the leading player in the emerging digital transaction space, DocuSign, saw a clear strategic fit. In May 2015, DocuSign acquired ARX for an estimated $30-50 million, integrating its high-security digital signature technology into a global platform and cementing ARX's legacy.