Variston Shutdown: Barcelona Spyware Startup Closes - Details

Variston Spyware Vendor Ceases Operations

Variston, a company specializing in spyware development and based in Barcelona, has reportedly ceased all operations.

Confirmation of the liquidation was documented in a legal notice published on February 10th in Barcelona’s official registry, as initially reported by Intelligence Online, a leading publication within the surveillance technology sector.

TechCrunch has independently verified the authenticity of this legal notice, confirming Variston’s closure.

Recent Developments and Prior Reporting

This development follows earlier reporting by TechCrunch, almost a year prior, which indicated that Variston was already undergoing a shutdown process. This included the layoff of a significant portion of its workforce – more than six employees.

The beginning of the company’s decline is linked to a 2022 report released by Google. This report brought Variston, previously operating in complete secrecy, to public attention.

Company Background and Employee Accounts

Founded in Barcelona in 2018, Variston was established by experienced figures in the spyware industry: Ralf Wegener and Ramanan Jayaraman.

Former employees of the company have stated that a strict non-disclosure policy was in place, prohibiting staff from revealing their employer.

One ex-employee suggested to TechCrunch that Google’s public disclosure of Variston’s existence may have initiated the company’s eventual downfall.

Lack of Response

Attempts to obtain comment from Ralf Wegener were unsuccessful. Furthermore, an email sent to Variston’s publicly listed email address received no response.