Windward sells governments and banks the ability to detect suspicious ship movements. Her current role for working with Israeli clients specifies experience in the military or intelligence agencies as a mandatory requirement. The company's military origins remain part of the business: former navy officers Ami Daniel and Matan Peled founded it in 2010, and its knowledge of intelligence work helps turn maritime surveillance into a security product.
The growth was accompanied by the appearance of influential patrons. In 2015, former CIA director David Petraeus became an investor. At the same time, former Israeli Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi and former head of Thomson Reuters Tom Glosser joined the advisers. The company combined intelligence expertise with access to the financial world. Among its clients, WIRED named the US Office of Naval Intelligence and the DEA in 2020. In January 2021, Windward announced the European Border Agency Frontex as a customer.
The American fund FTV Capital announced the acquisition of Windward in December 2024 and completed it in March 2025. The next step brought the company closer to closed orders: in April 2026 it bought the American entrepreneur for government agencies Edge Bolt. In June, Windward's naval intelligence was led by retired Vice Admiral Robert Sharpe, former director of the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. In September, Daniel told the second line of defense about 95-96% of American shareholders and top secret approval.
The Israeli registration was maintained during the exchange of ownership. In filing shares for 2021, the company warned that its exports may be subject to restrictions by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, even though there were no such restrictions at the time. American capital, an Israeli legal entity and work for the US intelligence services coexist within one business. The share section does not determine the circle of employees authorized to open the client's portfolio.