Smartmatic – Dominion Voting Systems Timeline: Ownership, Acquisitions, Reorganizations, and Technology Transfers by Dynamojo — ABCU|8 “Founded in Venezuela in 1997 by a team of three engineers – Antonio Mugica, Alfredo José Anzola, and Roger Piñate, Smartmatic specializes in the design and end-to-end deployment of technology solutions for specific applications. The company’s niches are: electronic voting systems, smart city solutions (including public safety and public transportation), identity management systems for civil registration, and authentication products for government applications.” [1] On April 11, 2000, the same three Venezuelan engineers founded the company Smartmatic in Delaware, United States and opened its headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida with seven employees in November of that year. “Delaware, US: The world’s top secrecy jurisdiction. Register a company here and no one will ever know. If you have overseas income, it will be tax exempt.” [2] 2003 In April 2003 in Caracas, Venezuela, Smartmatic officially unveiled its prototype for election automation. The testing of the prototype covered all the details of the process necessary for any type of election. During the tests, emphasis was placed on the system’s encryption capabilities, which are essential for the confidential storage and transmission of data, as well as the robustness of the software and hardware system’s components. The system passed all tests with no shortcomings, said a company spokesperson. Such a complex, purpose-built technical solution would require a strong, system-wide R&D capability that would not have been possible in Venezuela without massive technical and financial support. Although Smartmatic established a U.S. presence in 2000, almost all of its products were developed in Venezuela, a country where capital is scarce and scientific research and manufacturing are not sophisticated. 2004 According to the New York Times, at the beginning of 2004, a Venezuelan government financing agency invested more than USD $200,000 in a technology company owned by the same owners of Smartmatic: Bitza. Omar Montilla Castillo (a Chavez government official). [15] Smartmatic moved its headquarters to Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 2004. WikiLeaks provides some more detail, “…they have a list of about 30 anonymous investors …. the silent partners are mainly upper-class Venezuelans, …. then Defense Minister Jose Vicente Rangel …. the Vice President’s daughter Gisela Rangel Avalos, Chávez’s political mentor Luis Miquelina is also a shareholder in the company ….” The true identity of most of Smartmatic’s shareholders remains a mystery. [10] 2010 – Smartmatic UK – Companies House [3] 2014 Launch of SGO In 2014, Mugica, together with British Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, announced the launching of the SGO Corporation Limited, a holding company headquartered in London whose primary asset is the election technology and voting machine manufacturer, Smartmatic. Mugica is CEO of SGO Smartmatic and his Venezuelan cofounder, Roger Piñate, also sits on the London board. David Giampaolo. Another board member of SGO Smartmatic in London is DLA Piper global CEO, Sir Nigel Knowles. DLA Piper was then the world’s largest law firm in 2014. Notably, Douglas C. Emhoff, husband to Kamala Harris, is a partner at DLA Piper. More at link.