Korupcijas novēršanas un apkarošanas birojs

What Korupcijas novēršanas un apkarošanas birojs does

Korupcijas novēršanas un apkarošanas birojs (KNAB) is the direct administration institution of Latvia responsible for preventing and combating corruption, established in 2002 and operating under the supervision of the Cabinet of Ministers. The agency performs statutory functions including the investigation and prosecution of corruption offences, supervision of public officials' compliance with conflict-of-interest and asset declaration rules, monitoring of political party financing and pre-election campaigning, education and training of public officials and citizens, and whistleblower report handling. As of March 1, 2026, KNAB serves as the official whistleblower contact point for Latvia. The bureau is headquartered at Citadeles iela 1, Riga, and is led by Director Jēkabs Straume, appointed by the Saeima in 2017.

KNAB operates a multi-channel public reporting infrastructure comprising the online platform zino.knab.gov.lv, the mobile application "Ziņo KNAB!", a trust hotline (8000 2070), email, postal mail, and in-person intake, with reporting volumes tripling in 2024 and online submissions increasing tenfold. The agency's technology stack includes Google Analytics and Power BI for analytics, the Latvija.gov.lv e-address system for secure communications, and addthis for social sharing. KNAB also operates a dedicated internal training information system at apmacibas.knab.gov.lv. The agency applies AI systems across text, image, video, and audio modalities to detect AI-generated content in pre-election campaign materials, supported by memorandums with Riga Technical University, the University of Latvia, and the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics.

KNAB is funded entirely through the Latvian state budget and provides all services free of charge to citizens, businesses, public officials, and political organisations. The bureau's international cooperation spans the UN (UNCAC implementation), OECD (anti-corruption policy development), GRECO (Council of Europe evaluation framework), NEIWA (whistleblowing authorities network), EPAC/EACN (European anti-corruption network), and bilateral partner agencies. OECD's Anti-Corruption and Integrity Outlook 2024 ranked Latvia among the highest-quality anti-corruption strategy jurisdictions. KNAB expanded its mandate on January 1, 2025 by absorbing the investigative functions of the State Revenue Service Internal Security Directorate.

Name

Korupcijas novēršanas un apkarošanas birojs

Legal name

Korupcijas novēršanas un apkarošanas birojs

Website

https://knab.gov.lv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Korupcijas novēršanas un apkarošanas birojs (KNAB) is Latvia's government anti-corruption bureau that investigates corruption offences, oversees political party financing, monitors pre-election campaigning, and serves as the national whistleblower contact point, serving citizens, public officials, and political organisations across Latvia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Anti-Corruption Enforcement

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (9221)

akta.pro primary industry

Fraud Risk Management & Anti-Bribery/Anti-Corruption (ABAC) (BPAHAFAL)

Keywords

• Anti-corruption enforcement
• Whistleblower reporting
• Political party financing oversight
• Conflict of interest monitoring
• Public integrity education

Headquarters

HQ city

Riga

HQ country

Latvia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State Budget Funding: KNAB is a direct administration institution supervised by the Cabinet of Ministers, funded entirely through the Latvian state budget. As a government law enforcement and prevention agency, it does not generate commercial revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KNAB is Latvia's direct administration institution responsible for preventing and combating corruption, supervising political party and pre-election campaigning financing compliance, and overseeing public officials' adherence to conflict-of-interest and asset declaration rules. It operates multi-channel citizen reporting infrastructure (online platform zino.knab.gov.lv, mobile app 'Ziņo KNAB!', trust hotline 8000 2070, email, postal, and in-person intake) and conducts criminal investigations into corruption offences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ziņo KNAB! Online Reporting Platform
• Whistleblower Contact Point Service
• Anti-Corruption Training and Education Programme
• Political Party Financing Database
• Corruption Investigation and Enforcement Service Law enforcement service investigating criminal corruption offences (bribery, abuse of official position, conflicts of interest, foreign public official bribery) and performing operational/criminal intelligence activities; transferred 16 posts from SRS Internal Security Directorate on 1 January 2025 to extend coverage to offences committed by State Revenue Service employees.

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2024, the number of reports received through KNAB's channels tripled overall, with online platform reports increasing tenfold.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NEIWA (Network of European Integrity and Whistleblowing Authorities)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025KNAB joined NEIWA in May 2025. NEIWA is a European cooperation network of 33 institutions from 22 countries that focuses on promoting experience exchange, developing best practices, and strengthening a unified understanding of effective whistleblower protection systems in Europe. KNAB's membership was approved at the 11th General Assembly held in Bratislava, Slovakia.
• Riga Technical University, University of Latvia, Institute of Mathematics and InformaticscoreTechnology or Integration · 14 March 2025KNAB signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with three academic institutions to provide expert opinions on the use of artificial intelligence systems in pre-election campaigning. Under the agreement, experts from these universities will assess whether campaign materials were created using AI, supporting KNAB's enforcement of the Pre-election Campaign Law requirement that AI-generated paid campaign material must contain clear disclosure. The memorandum was signed ahead of the local elections in June 2025 and expires on 31 December 2025.
• Transparency International Latvia (Delna)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2024KNAB and Delna jointly organised the International Anti-Corruption Day conference for the third consecutive year in December 2024, bringing together professionals from private, public, non-governmental, and academic sectors to discuss corruption as a national and global security threat. The conference was supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, KPMG Latvia, and the Swedish Institute.
• EPAC/EACN (European Partners against Corruption / European Anti-Corruption Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKNAB participates as a member of EPAC/EACN, a network of European anti-corruption authorities. KNAB representatives attend the Annual Professional Conference and General Assembly of EPAC/EACN, sharing experience and learning from peer agencies across Europe.
• Public Consultative Council (Sabiedriski konsultatīvā padome)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 2004, the Public Consultative Council comprises representatives from non-governmental organisations and provides recommendations to KNAB on anti-corruption policy. In May 2024, Aivars Borovkovs (Latvian Association of Lawyers) was elected chair and Ingemārs Vekteris (Latvian Broadcasting Association) as vice-chair. The council fosters KNAB's relationship with civil society.
• State Revenue Service (SRS) Internal Security DirectorateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn 1 January 2025, KNAB took over the investigative and operational functions of the SRS Internal Security Directorate, including 16 posts, departmental inspection cases, criminal proceedings, and operational records. KNAB participated in the SRS reform working group and inter-institutional commissions to ensure continuity during the transfer of law enforcement functions related to corruption offences committed by SRS employees.
• OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKNAB collaborates with OECD on anti-corruption policy development. OECD experts conducted a review of Latvia's conflict of interest framework and OECD's 'Anti-Corruption and Integrity Outlook 2024' rated Latvia as having one of the highest quality anti-corruption strategies among member states. Latvia leads among 30+ OECD countries in anti-corruption plan quality. KNAB also participated in an OECD project 'Strengthening the Corruption Prevention Framework' launched by the European Commission.
• UN (United Nations) – UNCAC ImplementationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKNAB participates in the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). KNAB experts have also supported Serbia in implementing UNCAC through expert group assessment missions.
• GRECO (Group of States against Corruption, Council of Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKNAB operates under GRECO evaluation framework. Latvia was the second country to successfully conclude GRECO's Fifth Evaluation Round, having fully or partially implemented all 17 recommendations on preventing corruption and promoting integrity in parliament, courts, and prosecutors.
• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe European Commission's 2024 Rule of Law Report commends KNAB's anti-corruption efforts. The EC, together with OECD, launched a project initiated by KNAB to strengthen Latvia's corruption prevention framework, funded by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support under the Technical Support Instrument. The project produced the methodology for assessing the effectiveness of internal control systems for preventing corruption.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Crime Agency (UK): The NCA is a broader UK law-enforcement agency whose remit includes serious and organized crime, including corruption and bribery. Comparable in its law-enforcement posture toward corruption but operates across many crime categories rather than specializing.

Direct peers

• Serious Fraud Office (UK): The SFO investigates and prosecutes serious or complex fraud and bribery in the UK, including overseas bribery under the Bribery Act. Functionally comparable to KNAB's criminal prosecution role for corruption offences, though broader in scope.
• National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU): NABU is Ukraine's primary anti-corruption investigative body, with statutory authority to investigate and prevent corruption in public office. Like KNAB, it operates a dedicated reporting platform, conducts criminal investigations, and reports to parliament — a direct structural and functional peer.
• Anti-Corruption Commission (Bulgaria): Bulgaria's national anti-corruption commission combines prevention, investigation, and asset declaration oversight — closely aligned with KNAB's integrated mandate covering conflict-of-interest supervision, party finance, and criminal investigation.
• National Anti-Corruption Authority (Romania, DNA/PNA): Romania's DNA/PNA prosecutes high-level corruption cases, and the National Integrity Agency manages asset declarations and conflict-of-interest rules — together replicating KNAB's combined investigative and integrity-monitoring remit.
• Autoridade Nacional Anticorrupção (Portugal): Portugal's ANAC is a dedicated national anti-corruption agency with prevention, enforcement, and strategic planning functions. Shares with KNAB the integration of whistleblower channels, public-sector integrity oversight, and strategic policy roles.
• Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine (SAPO): SAPO prosecutes corruption cases brought by NABU, mirroring the prosecutorial/investigative split that exists in Latvia's anti-corruption architecture. Comparable mandate over high-level public officials and asset declarations.

Others

• OECD Anti-Corruption Directorate: The OECD Anti-Corruption Directorate evaluates national strategies (rating Latvia among the highest-quality plans) and partners with KNAB on corruption-prevention framework projects. Acts as a peer-review and capacity-building partner rather than a competitor.
• GRECO (Group of States against Corruption, Council of Europe): GRECO monitors compliance with anti-corruption standards across Council of Europe members, including Latvia, which completed GRECO's Fifth Evaluation Round. Functions as a peer-review body for entities like KNAB and shapes its standards.
• Transparency International Secretariat: Transparency International is a global civil-society coalition combating corruption, including its Latvian chapter (Delna), which co-hosts KNAB's annual International Anti-Corruption Day conference. Not a regulator but a direct thematic and operational counterpart.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KNABinforme
• Facebookfacebook.com/KNAB.LV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knabgovlv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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