Kharon provides the intelligence layer that powers sanctions compliance, export control due diligence, and supply chain risk management for the world's largest financial institutions, corporations, and government agencies.

Kharon is a risk intelligence company that provides data and technology solutions for risk management operations, including sanctions, sanctioned securities, financial crimes compliance, export controls, forced labor, supply chain risk, and other regulatory and geopolitical risks.

The company is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with a presence throughout the world, including Washington D.C., New York, Los Angeles, London, Madrid, and Tokyo.

Kharon was founded in October 2018 by former senior officials from the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI). The company combines subject matter expertise on global security topics and regulations, with proprietary technology, data science, and AI to map ownership structures, corporate networks, trade relationships, and hidden connections — identifying risk exposure that standard screening, KYC, and due diligence miss.

Kharon is the system of record for risk intelligence — the authoritative source that compliance systems, AI agents, and screening tools verify against when making operational decisions within the risk and compliance framework.

What Kharon Does

Kharon maps the commercial relationships of actors that are targeted by sanctions, trade controls, and investment restrictions on the basis of national or global security risks. Kharon investigates these networks wherever they operate — across jurisdictions, languages, sources, and complex connections. The company tracks connections to high-risk actors, including sanctioned parties, trade-restricted entities, forced labor supply chains, drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and narco-traffickers, military end users, proliferation networks, and other threat networks. Kharon also maps the flows of sensitive and advanced technologies to restricted destinations and end users.

Kharon's research goes far beyond watchlist screening. The company identifies:

• Ownership chains linking designated entities to unlisted subsidiaries
• Corporate structures obscuring beneficial ownership
• Trade relationships indicating transshipment or diversion risk
• Control relationships that trigger sanctions or export restrictions even without majority ownership
• Hidden connections between individuals, companies, vessels, and other actors
• Supply chains and buyer networks that underpin advanced and sensitive technologies central to global competition and security.

Kharon research covers all documented, reliable, and verifiable open source records accessible in the public domain, including but not limited to corporate registries, company disclosures, legal filings, trade records, government databases, global media, social media, web data, and deep web data.

Kharon's data powers compliance across key risk domains including sanctions, export controls, forced labor, investment risk, research security, FOCI (Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence), counter-proliferation, and third-party due diligence.

The Kharon Core

At the center of Kharon is the Core — a proprietary intelligence layer built over more than a decade, powering the products and solutions that Kharon delivers. It began with knowledge graphs, grew with data science, and now scales with AI. The Core powers everything Kharon delivers — every product, integration, and data feed.

The Kharon Core consists of:

• The Knowledge Graph — A deeply researched and continuously updated set of entities, individuals, vessels, and their networks, with ownership chains, control relationships, and hidden connections continuously mapped and updated.
• The Analytic Engine — A proprietary methodology that scores how exposed every entity in the Core is to the risk themes Kharon tracks, and surfaces the most relevant pathways of relationships between entities and sanctioned or restricted actors.
• Analyst-Validated Research — Every entity and fact in the Core is backed by sourced and cited research with context and risk rationale, validated by true subject matter experts.

The Core powers risk and compliance operations at the world's largest financial institutions, multinational corporations, and government agencies. When organizations or partners integrate Kharon, they are running The Kharon Core inside their existing tools. The interface doesn't matter — the intelligence layer does.

Kharon's Approach

What distinguishes Kharon from compliance data vendors, screening platforms, and other risk intelligence providers is the unparalleled depth, specificity and contextualized presentation of its research — covering entities, individuals, addresses, vessels, and the networks that connect them.

Kharon's platform is powered by a proprietary analytic engine that combines data science and machine learning scoring with rules-based calculations to produce Dynamic Exposure Scores, which are proprietary risk scores measuring how connected each entity is to sanctioned or restricted parties through ownership chains, control relationships, and network linkages.

This goes far beyond simple list-matching: the system evaluates ownership chains, control relationships, trade patterns, and network connections to surface risk that static screening misses.

While most compliance tools rely on official sanctions lists and public corporate registries, Kharon's technology and research teams trace the actual ownership structures, business relationships, financial networks, trade relationships, shared addresses, family connections, and other linkages of sanctioned and high-risk entities — including entities that are not themselves designated but are owned or controlled by designated parties.

Kharon’s leadership team brings firsthand experience in sanctions design, implementation, and enforcement to commercial risk intelligence.

How Kharon Is Different

vs. Screening Tools: Kharon goes beyond watchlists to map the networks behind sanctioned and other restricted parties — surfacing subsidiaries, affiliates, and connected entities that don't appear on any list but trigger the same compliance obligations or other risk considerations.

vs. Data Vendors: Kharon enriches raw data with expert analysis. Every researched entity includes sourcing, context, and risk rationale — not just a match/no-match signal.

vs. Corporate Registries: Kharon traces actual ownership and control, not just nominal registration data. Corporate structures designed to obscure beneficial ownership don't hide risk from Kharon's network analysis.

vs. Media Monitoring: Kharon maintains persistent, structured intelligence on risk networks — not ephemeral alerts. The insights compound over time as relationships evolve.

Products and Delivery

Kharon delivers intelligence through multiple channels:

ClearView — Investigation and Analysis Platform. Web-based platform for KYC, sanctions and compliance investigations, and due diligence. Search entities, individuals, addresses and other contact information; visualize ownership and relationship networks; and access Dynamic Exposure Scores that quantify proximity to sanctioned or restricted parties.

CoreStream — AI-Enhanced Insights, grounded in Kharon-verified intelligence. Continuously updating feed of risk insights, powered by the Kharon Core. Analyst-verified intelligence with AI-enhanced narratives across the most comprehensive set of entities tied to global security topics and their networks. Drawing on years of expert research, CoreStream produces citation-backed narratives covering sanctions, export controls, forced labor, military end use, investment risk, and more. Users can search by concept, browse by risk typology, and set up personalized feeds that surface relevant intelligence as it emerges.

GraphCast — Structured data extracts for integration with existing screening, compliance and analytic systems. Delivered through GraphCast, Kharon's data platform covering more than 20 risk typologies. Select specific risk themes — sanctions ownership 50% rule, BIS affiliates rule, military end use, forced labor, research security, evasion — or geographic focuses such as Russia, Iran, or Venezuela. Integrate into transaction monitoring, screening systems, and internal risk, CRM and trade platforms.

API — Programmatic access to Kharon's data and analytics for integration into financial crime platforms, trade and supply chain systems, trading desks, and other workflows. Compliance teams and technology integrators use the API to build sanctions, trade control and investment risk into automated and agentic workflows, screening cascades, and custom compliance applications.

Partner Ecosystem — Integrations with leading compliance, supply chain visibility, logistics and GRC platforms — including Descartes, e2Open, AIAG, Altana, NQC, and Resilinc to name a few. See full partner list at kharon.com/partnerships.

The Brief — Editorial and investigative publication with insights and analysis covering sanctions developments, enforcement actions, evasion trends, and regulatory changes from OFAC, BIS, FinCEN, UK OFSI, the EU, and other international bodies.

Solution Areas

Kharon's intelligence supports the following domains:

Sanctions and Financial Crimes Compliance — Identifying entities blocked under OFAC, EU, UK, UN, and other sanctions programs — including majority-owned subsidiaries under the OFAC 50% rule and entities meeting "ownership and control" standards. Used for transaction screening, customer due diligence, correspondent banking, AML programs, trade finance, and regulatory reporting.

Export Controls and Trade Compliance — Detecting military end users, BIS Entity List parties, denied persons, and illicit procurement networks. Supports compliance with U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), ITAR, the BIS Affiliates Rule, and foreign direct product rules. Used for export licensing, deemed export risk, end-use/end-user verification, transshipment risk, dual-use diversion and catch-all screening.

Supply Chain Risk — Mapping supply chains for sanctions exposure, forced labor indicators, and restricted party involvement across both import and export controls. Covers UFLPA Entity List parties, Xinjiang-connected supply chains, intermediaries in high-risk transshipment jurisdictions, and military end-user and defense supply chain restrictions.

Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) — Identifying foreign government ownership, control, or influence over entities relevant to the defense industrial base. Supports FOCI assessments under NISPOM, M&A due diligence for defense acquisitions, and CFIUS compliance.

Sanctioned Securities and Investment Risk — Screening portfolios, indices, and ETFs for exposure to sanctioned entities and restricted securities. Covers OFAC restrictions on Russian and Chinese securities, outbound investment restrictions (OISP), and NS-CMIC compliance.

Counter-Proliferation and Illicit Finance — Intelligence on proliferation financing networks, sanctions evasion schemes, and terrorist financing. Covers WMD procurement networks, ballistic missile programs, and financial networks supporting designated organizations, including those tied to Iran and North Korea.

Narco-Trafficking and Transnational Crime — Intelligence on narco-trafficking organizations (DTOs), cartel networks, fentanyl supply chains and logistics, money laundering networks and transnational criminal enterprises. Covers designated narcotics traffickers, front companies, and financial facilitators.

Research Security — Identifying foreign government affiliations, talent program connections, and military end-user relationships for universities and research institutions. Supports NSPM-33, DoD research security requirements, and similar frameworks.

Public Sector — Supporting government enforcement, intelligence, and policy missions. Kharon is used by 20+ government organizations worldwide, including U.S. Treasury, CBP, DHS, State Department, and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among others.

Regulatory Frameworks

Kharon's data supports compliance with:

• U.S. sanctions (OFAC SDN List, Sectoral Sanctions, 50 Percent Rule)
• U.S. export controls (BIS Entity List, MEU List, Affiliates Rule)
• Forced labor restrictions (UFLPA)
• Outbound investment security regulations (OISP)
• AML requirements (BSA, FinCEN)
• UK sanctions (OFSI)
• EU sanctions and restrictive measures
• Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea sanctions and export controls

How Organizations Use Kharon

• Financial Institutions: Transaction screening, customer screening, KYC, due diligence, AML investigations, sanctions alert disposition
• Corporations: Supplier screening, third-party due diligence, supply chain visibility, export license determination, end-user verification
• Asset Managers: Portfolio sanctions screening, ETF exposure analysis, outbound investment compliance (OISP), sustainability reviews
• Defense and Aerospace: FOCI assessments, cleared contractor compliance, CFIUS filings, supply chain security, export controls
• Universities: Foreign collaboration vetting, talent program screening, research security compliance, deemed export controls
• Government Agencies: Sanctions targeting, enforcement investigations, trade enforcement, policy analysis
• Professional Services: Client due diligence, investigations, regulatory advisory

Customers

Kharon serves organizations across the private and public sectors globally:

• 7 of 10 largest U.S. banks
• 6 of 10 largest EU banks
• 9 of 10 largest semiconductor companies
• 35+ Fortune 100 companies
• 35+ research universities
• 4 of 5 largest global accounting firms
• 7 of 10 largest U.S. automotive companies
• 4 of 5 largest global software companies
• 4 of 5 largest global pharma companies
• Government agencies in 20+ countries

Sectors: Financial institutions, asset managers, corporations, defense contractors, universities, professional services, law firms, government agencies

Kharon serves clients in 50+ countries across 6 continents.

Data Coverage (GraphCast Datasets)

Kharon delivers structured datasets via API, CSV, JSON, or directly via dozens of partnerships:

• SANCTIONS 50-PLUS: Entities that may be owned 50% or more by one or more sanctioned parties (US, EU, and UK), directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate.
• SOUTH KOREA SANCTIONS 50-PLUS & CONTROL: Entities that may be owned 50% or more, or that may be controlled or operated, by one or more sanctioned parties (South Korea), directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate.
• SANCTIONS 25-PLUS: Entities that may be owned 25% or more by one or more sanctioned parties (US, EU, and UK), directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate.
• SANCTIONS 10-PLUS: Entities that may be owned 10% or more by one or more sanctioned parties (US, EU, and UK), directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate.
• SANCTIONS 0-PLUS: Entities that may be owned more than 0% (including majority, minority, and unknown ownership percentages) by one or more sanctioned parties (US, EU, and UK), directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate.
• CONTROL RELATIONSHIPS: Entities that may be controlled or operated by one or more sanctioned parties (US, EU, and UK). Also includes entities that may be owned 40% or more by sanctioned parties or by family members of sanctioned individuals, as well as entities and their 50% or more owned subsidiaries where sanctioned individuals may exert significant influence through senior leadership positions.
• BIS 50-PLUS: Entities that may be owned 50% or more, or that may have an unknown percentage of ownership, by one or more parties on the BIS Entity List or Military End-User (MEU) List, or by Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) designated under programs identified in § 744.8(a)(1), directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate.
• BIS 0-PLUS: Entities that may be owned more than 0% (including majority, minority, and unknown ownership percentages) by one or more parties on the BIS Entity List or Military End-User (MEU) List, or by Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) designated under programs identified in § 744.8(a)(1), directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate. Also includes entities that may be controlled or operated by listed parties, entities that may be owned 40% or more by listed parties or by family members of listed parties, and entities and their 50% or more owned subsidiaries where listed individuals may exert significant influence through senior leadership positions.
• MEU: Entities that may meet military end use/end user rule criteria based on US government guidance, requiring a license for certain exports. Covers China, Russia, Belarus, Venezuela, and Myanmar (Burma).
• EVASION - BATTLEFIELD / COMMON HIGH PRIORITY LIST ITEMS: Entities that may have transacted in battlefield / Common High Priority List (CHPL) items, pre- and post-invasion of Ukraine. Covers trade in items that Russia seeks to procure for its weapons programs, as identified by 50 Harmonized System (HS) codes.
• FORCED LABOR: Entities exposed to forced labor risk, based on typologies identified by the US government in its Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory and by US Customs and Border Protection in its Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) operational guidance document.
• DTOs / FENTANYL: Parties related to drug trafficking organizations and the production or distribution of illicit fentanyl and other narcotics. Inclusive only of entities added to Kharon’s data in the course of research into networks related to sanctions, export controls, and other covered risk topics.
• SANCTIONED SECURITIES: Securities, including equities, bonds, funds, derivatives, and other financial instruments, that are materially associated with sanctioned parties, as well as with parties that may be owned 50% or more, or may be controlled, by sanctioned parties.
• OUTBOUND INVESTMENT SECURITY PROGRAM (OISP): Entities and their 50% or more owned subsidiaries operating worldwide in specific, covered categories of advanced technologies and products subject to outbound investment notification requirements or prohibitions.
• CHINA STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES (SOEs): Entities that may be owned 10% or more, or may be controlled, by Chinese government entities. Inclusive only of entities added to Kharon’s data in the course of research into networks related to sanctions, export controls, and other covered risk topics.
• RUSSIA STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES (SOEs): Entities that may be owned 10% or more, or may be controlled, by Russian government entities. Inclusive only of entities added to Kharon’s data in the course of research into networks related to sanctions, export controls, and other covered risk topics.
• BELARUS STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES (SOEs): Entities that may be owned 0% or more, or may be controlled, by Belarusian government entities. Inclusive only of entities added to Kharon’s data in the course of research into networks related to sanctions, export controls, and other covered risk topics.
• VENEZUELA STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES (SOEs): Entities that may be owned 50% or more, or may be controlled, by Venezuelan government entities. Inclusive only of entities added to Kharon’s data in the course of research into networks related to sanctions, export controls, and other covered risk topics.
• RUSSIA DATA: Entities, individuals, and vessels exposed to the Russia-Ukraine conflict or sectors of the Russian economy targeted by sanctions, including military, energy, finance, cyber, media, oligarchs, and SOEs.
• NDAA SECTION 889: Entities that may be owned 10% or more, or may be controlled, by Chinese telecommunications companies restricted under NDAA Section 889.
• VESSELS & OWNERS / OPERATORS: Vessels owned or operated by sanctioned parties. Owners and operators of sanctioned vessels.
• FACILITATORS & SUPPORTERS: Individuals and entities that have provided financial, material, or logistical support to sanctioned parties.
• LEADERS & EXECUTIVES: Entities led by a sanctioned individual. Individuals who lead a sanctioned entity or an entity that may be owned 50% or more, or may be controlled, by a sanctioned party.

Company Information

• Founded: October 2018
• Headquarters: Denver, Colorado, United States
• Global Offices: Washington D.C., New York, Los Angeles, London, Madrid, Tokyo
• Website: kharon.com
• Editorial Publication: The Brief (kharon.com/brief)
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/kharondata
• Contact: info@kharon.com

Kharon is the system of record for risk intelligence.\