Adaware

What Adaware does

Adaware, legally Adaware Software (7270356 Canada Inc.), is a consumer and small-business security and privacy software provider headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Originally founded as Lavasoft AB in 1999 by Nicholas Stark and Ann-Christine Åkerlund in Sweden, the company pioneered the first commercial anti-spyware product and first free home security program. Following a 2011 acquisition by Solaria Fund, headquarters relocated to Montreal; the company was rebranded to Adaware Software in 2016 and was acquired by Avanquest Software in 2018, under whose ownership it operates today as a subsidiary with the Adaware trademark registered to Avanquest. The firm employs 51-100 people and serves customers in over 160 countries through its parent company's distribution.

Adaware's product portfolio spans antivirus (Total, Pro, Personal, and Free tiers), privacy tools (Adaware Privacy, Adaware VPN, Adaware Safe Browser), ad/tracker blocking (Adaware AdBlock for Chrome and Firefox), and PC utility software (PC Cleaner and Driver Manager). Core detection technology relies on a licensed Bitdefender antivirus engine supplemented by Avira's cloud-based Malicious URL Database (MURL) and Application Classification Service (AUC), with an in-house Adaware Cloud Services (ACS) platform providing real-time URL analysis and threat intelligence to the malware lab. Free versions of most products drive user acquisition; paid tiers and multi-seat licenses generate subscription revenue on an annual cadence, with supplementary income from search monetization through Airfind and Onesearch. Go-to-market is product-led via direct website downloads and browser extension marketplaces, supported by multi-language web presence in 8 languages and a Zendesk-powered support portal.

Name

Adaware

Legal name

Adaware Software (7270356 Canada Inc.)

Website

https://adaware.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Adaware is a Montreal-based consumer and SMB security software provider (founded 1999 as Lavasoft) offering freemium antivirus, privacy, ad-blocking, and PC utility products under the Avanquest Software group, with over 390 million lifetime downloads across 160+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Cybersecurity Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (51321)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Responsible AI, Security & Privacy Platforms (Safety, Guardrails, PII) (HDAEANAG)

Keywords

• Antivirus software
• Cybersecurity products
• Privacy protection
• Malware detection
• PC utility software

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Freemium Software Products: Adaware offers free versions of its core products (Antivirus Free, Privacy, PC Cleaner, Driver Manager, AdBlock) to drive user adoption and brand awareness. Premium paid tiers are available for advanced features and capabilities.
2. Premium Software Licenses: Paid versions of Adaware Antivirus Total, Pro, and Personal tiers with advanced features including multi-seat licenses for businesses and enhanced protection capabilities.
3. Search Monetization: Partnership with Airfind and Onesearch for private search engine monetization through sponsored ad clicks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Adaware develops and sells consumer-focused antivirus and cybersecurity software, including real-time malware protection, web filtering, VPN, ad blocking, PC cleaning/optimization, and data backup tools for individual users and small businesses. The company also licenses its ACS (Adaware Core Security) anti-malware engine to OEMs and partners for embedding into third-party security and networking products, including integrations with ISPs such as Comcast.

Product overview

Adaware offers a comprehensive suite of security, privacy, and performance software solutions. The product portfolio centers on core security products including Adaware Antivirus (available in Free, Personal, Pro, and Total tiers) providing traditional antivirus and firewall protection; Adaware Protect combining VPN, anti-tracking, and privacy controls; and Adaware Privacy focused on malware prevention and privacy breach protection. The suite also includes Adaware AdBlock browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox that block ads and trackers, plus performance tools Adaware PC Cleaner (registry/disk cleanup) and Adaware Driver Manager (driver updates). Adaware Safe Browser provides a private browsing alternative built on Chromium. The company, formerly known as Lavasoft, has been providing security solutions since 1999 and joined Avanquest Software in 2018.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Adaware Antivirus: Award-winning antivirus protection with download protection, real-time protection, firewall, and online banking security.
• Adaware Privacy
• Adaware AdBlock
• Adaware PC Cleaner
• Adaware Driver Manager
• Adaware Safe Browser
• Adaware VPN
• Adaware Total

Products and services

• Adaware Antivirus Free

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly doubles browsing speed when using AdAware AdBlock
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Avanquest SoftwarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018In 2018, Adaware joined Avanquest Software, one of the world's top 10 B2B software publishers. Avanquest improves customers' digital lives daily in over 160 countries with their portfolio of functionality, price, and accessibility unique software products.
• BitdefendercoreTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2013In October 2013, Lavasoft (later Adaware) integrated Bitdefender's award-winning antivirus engine with Adaware's existing malware protection solutions. This partnership marked a strategic shift toward licensing best-in-class third-party technology.
• Smart PC Solutions, Inc. and Avanquest Software SAScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdaware Driver Manager was created in cooperation with Smart PC Solutions, Inc. and Avanquest Software SAS, demonstrating co-development of the driver management product.
• AirfindminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAirfind partnership for monetizing searches through publisher-based shared revenue, strictly when sponsored ads are clicked. Used in Adaware's private search functionality.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/officialadaware
• Facebookfacebook.com/officialadaware

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Adaware