StarkWare Industries Ltd.

StarkWare Industries Ltd.

StarkWare Industries was founded in 2018 by Eli Ben-Sasson, Uri Kolodny, and Michael Riabzev. Ben-Sasson, a computer scientist and former professor at the Technion, led the development of STARK (Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge) proofs, a cryptographic method that enables verifiable computation at scale. The company emerged from academic research into a commercial entity, attracting venture capital from Sequoia Capital, Paradigm, and others, 2018–2022). The company focuses on zero-knowledge proof technology for blockchain scaling and privacy. StarkWare's core product, StarkEx, is a layer-2 scalability engine used by applications like dYdX, Immutable X, and Sorare for high-throughput, low-cost transactions. The firm also develops StarkNet, a decentralized layer-2 network using STARK proofs, which entered alpha in 2021. StarkWare operates across blockchain infrastructure and enterprise security, with deployment primarily in the Ethereum ecosystem, 2021–2024). StarkWare has raised over $200 million across multiple funding rounds, with its Series D in May 2022 valuing the company at $8 billion, 2022). The firm employs over 100 people across offices in Netanya, Menlo Park, London, and Singapore, among others. In 2023, StarkWare launched a grant program to grow the StarkNet developer ecosystem, distributing $20 million in grants (per the firm, 2023). What distinguishes StarkWare from other blockchain infrastructure firms is its intellectual property moat: the company holds foundational patents on STARK proofs, which it licenses selectively while maintaining an open-source ethos for StarkNet. This hybrid model — proprietary core technology paired with a public network — creates a structural tension that has drawn both alliances and scrutiny. Governance is founder-led, with the three co-founders controlling strategic direction.