Internet Security Research Group
Internet Security Research Group is a California-based nonprofit that operates Let's Encrypt (free TLS certificates for 500M+ websites), Prossimo (memory safety for critical internet infrastructure), and Divvi Up (privacy-preserving telemetry), funded by sponsorships from major technology companies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Internet Security Research Group does
Internet Security Research Group (ISRG) is a California-domiciled nonprofit organization, founded around 2013-2015 and headquartered in San Francisco, that operates critical internet security infrastructure through three projects. Let's Encrypt is the world's largest Certificate Authority, issuing free, automated TLS certificates to more than 500 million websites (or 430 million per an alternate count) via the ACME protocol, with 90-day automated renewals. Prossimo is an initiative to transition security-sensitive internet infrastructure from C/C++ to memory-safe programming languages, providing strategic planning, facilitation, and communications support. Divvi Up is a privacy-preserving telemetry service built on the Distributed Aggregation Protocol (DAP), co-developed with Cloudflare and Mozilla and progressing toward IETF standardization, which uses a two-server architecture where each server holds only a partial share of encrypted metrics.
The organization is funded primarily through sponsorships and grants from major technology companies and foundations, including Google, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Open Technology Fund, Alpha-Omega, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, ICANN, and NLNet. The certificate and memory-safety offerings are provided free of charge, while Divvi Up offers paid pilots and production environments on a subscription basis with contact-based pricing. Named Divvi Up customers include Mozilla Firefox, the nonprofit Horizontal, and Tinfoil. The organization is led by co-founder and executive director Josh Aas alongside co-founder Eric Rescorla.
ISRG's go-to-market is community-led and reputation-driven rather than sales-led: adoption occurs through developer word-of-mouth, open-source distribution on GitHub, conference participation (FOSDEM), and content marketing via the abetterinternet.org blog and newsletter. The 2026 product roadmap includes Merkle Tree Certificates to prepare Let's Encrypt for a post-quantum cryptographic future, and a federated learning integration with the Flower framework that extends Divvi Up's privacy-preserving capabilities into machine learning workloads.
Internet Security Research Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Internet Security Research Group
- Legal name
- Internet Security Research Group
- Website
- https://abetterinternet.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Internet Security Research Group is a California-based nonprofit that operates Let's Encrypt (free TLS certificates for 500M+ websites), Prossimo (memory safety for critical internet infrastructure), and Divvi Up (privacy-preserving telemetry), funded by sponsorships from major technology companies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Internet Security Research Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Internet Security Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Privacy Management (Consent, DSAR, RoPA) (HDADAFAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Data Security & Privacy Managed Services (DLP/Encryption) (BPAEADAL), Application Security & DevSecOps Services (BPAKAHAJ)
Keywords
Where Internet Security Research Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Internet Security Research Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Let's Encrypt Certificates: Free TLS certificates provided to website operators worldwide. Revenue comes not from certificate sales but from sponsorships and donations from major technology companies (Google, Amazon, Microsoft, etc.) who benefit from increased internet security and HTTPS adoption.
- Divvi Up Telemetry Service: Privacy-preserving telemetry service offered to application developers. Contact-based pricing for paid pilots and production environments.
- Sponsorships and Donations: Major technology companies and organizations sponsor ISRG's operations. Sponsors include Google, Amazon Web Services, Open Technology Fund, Alpha-Omega, and Microsoft.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Let's Encrypt offers free TLS certificates to all websites worldwide |
| Subscription | Annual | Divvi Up offers paid pilot and production environment options |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Internet Security Research Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ISRG operates three core nonprofit digital infrastructure projects: Let's Encrypt, a free, automated, and open Certificate Authority that issues TLS certificates to more than 500 million websites via the ACME protocol; Prossimo, an initiative that provides strategic planning, facilitation, and communication to move the internet's security-sensitive software infrastructure to memory-safe code; and Divvi Up, a privacy-preserving telemetry service built on the Distributed Aggregation Protocol (DAP) that enables application owners to gain aggregate insights without storing PII. Operations are funded primarily through sponsorships and donations from major technology companies.
Product overview
Internet Security Research Group (ISRG) operates as a nonprofit digital infrastructure organization with three core projects: Let's Encrypt provides free, automated TLS certificates serving over 500 million websites; Prossimo advances memory safety for critical Internet infrastructure; and Divvi Up offers privacy-preserving telemetry and federated machine learning capabilities. These projects work together to advance ISRG's mission of creating a more secure and privacy-respecting digital world.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Let's Encrypt: A free, automated, and open Certificate Authority providing TLS certificates to more than 500 million websites worldwide.
- Prossimo
- Divvi Up
Products and services
- Let's Encrypt A free, automated, and open Certificate Authority that provides TLS certificates to websites. More than 500 million websites around the world use Let's Encrypt certificates to provide security and privacy to their visitors.
- Prossimo
- Divvi Up A privacy-preserving telemetry service that enables application owners to gain insights into a user base while respecting users' individual privacy, eliminating the need to store PII for telemetry and mitigating compliance risks. Built on the Distributed Aggregation Protocol (DAP) co-developed with Cloudflare and Mozilla, and supports federated learning aggregations.
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 500 million websites use Let's Encrypt certificates for security and privacy
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Internet Security Research Group
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Internet Security Research Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
Internet Security Research Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- CloudflarecoreCo-developer of the Distributed Aggregation Protocol (DAP) with ISRG and Mozilla. DAP is on a path to become an IETF standard for privacy-preserving telemetry.
- MozillacoreCo-developer of DAP protocol alongside ISRG and Cloudflare. Mozilla Firefox uses Divvi Up for privacy-preserving metrics collection.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Internet Security Research Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Internet Security Research Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Internet Security Research Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Internet Security Research Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Internet Security Research Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Internet Security Research Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Internet Security Research Group
What does Internet Security Research Group do?
ISRG operates three core nonprofit digital infrastructure projects: Let's Encrypt, a free, automated, and open Certificate Authority that issues TLS certificates to more than 500 million websites via the ACME protocol; Prossimo, an initiative that provides strategic planning, facilitation, and communication to move the internet's security-sensitive software infrastructure to memory-safe code; and Divvi Up, a privacy-preserving telemetry service built on the Distributed Aggregation Protocol (DAP) that enables application owners to gain aggregate insights without storing PII. Operations are funded primarily through sponsorships and donations from major technology companies.
Is Internet Security Research Group a public or private company?
Internet Security Research Group is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Internet Security Research Group founded?
Internet Security Research Group was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Internet Security Research Group based?
Internet Security Research Group is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Internet Security Research Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Let's Encrypt Certificates are the primary driver. The others are divvi Up Telemetry Service and sponsorships and Donations.
Does Internet Security Research Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Internet Security Research Group.
What industry is Internet Security Research Group in?
Internet Security Research Group's product category is Internet Security Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDADAFAH, Privacy Management (Consent, DSAR, RoPA), with a secondary code of BPAEADAL, Data Security & Privacy Managed Services (DLP/Encryption). Its NAICS code is 518210 and its SIC code is 7372.