Silent Circle
Silent Circle provides end-to-end encrypted enterprise communication solutions (voice, video, messaging, file sharing, conferencing) to government agencies, defense contractors, law firms, journalists, and NGOs. Founded in 2012 by PGP creator Phil Zimmermann, the Switzerland-headquartered firm uses a proprietary non-NIST cipher suite and FIPS 140-2 validated encryption.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersColumbia, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Silent Circle does
Silent Circle is a private secure communications company founded in 2012 by Phil Zimmermann (creator of PGP), Jon Callas (former CTO of PGP Corporation), and Mike Janke. The company provides end-to-end encrypted enterprise communication solutions through a platform that combines Silent Phone (encrypted voice, video, messaging, file sharing, and conference calling for iOS and Android), Silent World (a secure worldwide network), and Silent Manager (an enterprise deployment and management console with Single Sign-On, Remote Wipe, and Virtual On-Prem capabilities). The underlying technology stack is built around proprietary cryptography, including the ZRTP protocol for secure voice/video key exchange and a custom non-NIST cipher suite (Curve3617 414-bit elliptic curve, Twofish cipher, Skein hash function) developed in collaboration with cryptographers Dan Bernstein and Tanja Lange specifically to avoid potentially compromised NIST standards. A no-backdoors policy and zero-knowledge architecture ensure that the company itself cannot access customer communications.
Silent Circle firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Silent Circle
- Legal name
- Silent Circle
- Website
- https://silentcircle.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Silent Circle provides end-to-end encrypted enterprise communication solutions (voice, video, messaging, file sharing, conferencing) to government agencies, defense contractors, law firms, journalists, and NGOs. Founded in 2012 by PGP creator Phil Zimmermann, the Switzerland-headquartered firm uses a proprietary non-NIST cipher suite and FIPS 140-2 validated encryption.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Silent Circle industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Enterprise Secure Communications
- SIC
- Communications Services, Nec (4899), Telegraph & Other Message Communications (4822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Secure/Encrypted Messaging (BPAMACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Endpoint Data Protection (Device DLP/Encryption) (HDADAEAG), Authentication (MFA/Passwordless/Biometrics) Platforms (BPAMAEAE)
Keywords
Where Silent Circle is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Silent Circle business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Subscription Services: Recurring subscription model with 30-day subscription periods that auto-renew. Billed at beginning of subscription period for services to be provided during that period.
- Usage-Based Toll Charges: Toll charges for certain calls including international calling, billed at end of call in one-minute intervals rounded up to nearest minute.
- Hardware Sales: Sale of secure mobile devices including Blackphone product line and GoSilent portable firewall/VPN device.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Enterprise subscription for secure communications |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Silent Circle product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Silent Circle provides end-to-end encrypted enterprise communication solutions, centered on Silent Phone for encrypted voice, video, messaging, file sharing, and conference calling; Silent World for a secure global network; and Silent Manager for enterprise deployment and administration. The platform supports both iOS and Android devices without requiring special hardware, and is backed by proprietary non-NIST cryptography (Curve3617, Twofish, Skein) with a no-backdoors policy.
Product overview
Silent Circle offers a unified enterprise privacy platform consisting of three core products: Silent Phone (end-to-end encrypted calling and messaging for Android and iOS), Silent World (secure worldwide network), and Silent Manager (enterprise deployment and management console). The platform operates as an integrated ecosystem where Silent Phone provides the secure communication endpoints, Silent World ensures global network coverage, and Silent Manager enables enterprise administration. Additional offerings include SCircle for collaboration management, GoSilent for portable VPN protection, and legacy Blackphone devices running the custom PrivatOS operating system.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GoSilent: A portable firewall and VPN device that prevents data compromise and communication hacks on connected devices from anywhere in the world.
- Blackphone
Products and services
- Silent Phone
- Silent World
- Silent Manager
- SCircle
- GoSilent
- Blackphone
- Silent Text
Quantifiable outcome
- FIPS 140-2 Encryption Validation completed for Silent Phone to meet U.S. federal requirements
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Silent Circle
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Silent Circle technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature9 records
Silent Circle partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WidePointcorePartnership to offer secure mobile solutions for U.S. federal government agencies. WidePoint is a specialist in enterprise mobility management and Federal identity solutions. Partnership addresses effective mobile security as one of the biggest challenges for federal enterprises.
- Human Rights FoundationminorPartnership through Human Rights Foundation to support dissidents. Introduced Silent Circle to Central Tibetan Administration's prime minister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay. Silent Circle donated Silent Phone subscriptions to CTA for secure international conference calls and encrypted messaging.
- KerverosminorPartnership to secure enterprises across the globe. Combined efforts to address growing threat of enterprise data breaches with greater technology integration and devices that secure data and communications in mobile environments.
- Tech Data EuropecoreDistribution agreement with Tech Data Europe for European market distribution. Tech Data is one of the largest technology distribution companies globally, enabling Silent Circle to reach broader enterprise customer base across Europe.
- Dan Bernstein and Tanja LangecoreCryptographic research collaboration with world-renowned cryptographers Dan Bernstein (djb) and Tanja Lange. They designed Curve3617 (414-bit elliptic curve) specifically for Silent Circle systems. This partnership resulted in proprietary non-NIST cipher suite for enhanced security.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Silent Circle competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Silent Circle social profiles
Digital presenceSilent Circle compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Silent Circle financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Silent Circle leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Silent Circle subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Silent Circle funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Silent Circle M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Silent Circle
What does Silent Circle do?
Silent Circle provides end-to-end encrypted enterprise communication solutions, centered on Silent Phone for encrypted voice, video, messaging, file sharing, and conference calling; Silent World for a secure global network; and Silent Manager for enterprise deployment and administration. The platform supports both iOS and Android devices without requiring special hardware, and is backed by proprietary non-NIST cryptography (Curve3617, Twofish, Skein) with a no-backdoors policy.
Is Silent Circle a public or private company?
Silent Circle is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Silent Circle founded?
Silent Circle was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Silent Circle based?
Silent Circle is headquartered in Columbia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Silent Circle make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Services are the primary driver. The others are usage-Based Toll Charges and hardware Sales.
Does Silent Circle have an API?
No public API is recorded for Silent Circle.
What industry is Silent Circle in?
Silent Circle's product category is Enterprise Secure Communications. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMACAG, Secure/Encrypted Messaging, with a secondary code of HDADAEAG, Endpoint Data Protection (Device DLP/Encryption). Its SIC code is 4899.