INDEX / DIRECTORY / HOMEBASE / MILITARY

Homebase MILITARY

MILITARY AUDIT UPDATED 2026-08-28
Military Score 0.00 /10 E Homebase - BDS-1000 107
Military 0.00

Evidence-only forensic audit. Scoring happens downstream - see the main dossier for the composite assessment.

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Military Domain Audit

Target: Homebase

Entity Identification

Two commercially distinct entities trade or have traded under the name “Homebase” and were both investigated within this audit. Homebase (UK) was a British home-improvement and garden-centre retail chain that entered administration in November 2024 and ceased retail operations by March 2025 12. Homebase (software) (joinhomebase.com) is a US workforce-management SaaS company headquartered in San Francisco, founded in 2014 by John Waldmann and Rushi Patel, and still operating as of the audit date 3. A third entity, Home-Base Israel, is a Tel Aviv-based NGO providing sports and arts rehabilitation services for homeless persons and is commercially unrelated to either entity under investigation 4. All three entities were investigated within the Military domain; this audit records the findings for each.

Homebase (UK): Incorporated in 2001 as Homebase Group Limited, the company operated a nationwide DIY and garden-centre retail estate of approximately 163 stores at its peak 5. Hilco Capital acquired the business from J Sainsbury/Home Retail Group in 2018 and operated it until administration proceedings commenced in November 2024 67. Following administration, CDS Superstores (The Range) acquired the Homebase brand and a number of stores 1, and the final legacy Homebase-branded locations closed in March 2025 2. Corporate filings are held at Companies House under company number 04071533 89.

Homebase (software): Founded in 2014 by John Waldmann and Rushi Patel, Homebase provides employee scheduling, time-tracking, hiring, and HR management tools primarily to US small and medium-sized businesses 3. The company raised $71 million in a Series C funding round in July 2021 10 and a further $60 million in a Series D round in April 2024, bringing total disclosed funding to approximately $189 million 11. John Waldmann, who serves as Founder and CEO, holds a Stanford MBA and prior roles at KKR Capstone and Boston Consulting Group 12.

Direct Defence Contracting & Procurement

No public evidence identified of any direct defence contracting or procurement relationship between either Homebase entity and the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), or any other Israeli military or security body.

A review of the SIBAT Defence and Homeland Security Industry Directory - the IMOD’s publicly accessible registry of Israeli defence exporters and internationally engaged defence firms - returned no reference to either Homebase entity in any publicly searchable capacity 13. The UK Government’s Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) publishes quarterly management information on Israel-related export licence decisions; neither Homebase entity appears in that dataset as a licence applicant, holder, or named exporter 14. No tender notice, contract award announcement, or procurement record naming either Homebase entity as prime contractor, approved subcontractor, or qualified supplier in an Israeli defence context was identified in any publicly accessible database. No corporate press releases, official government announcements, or trade-press reports documenting defence cooperation, joint ventures, or partnership agreements between either Homebase entity and Israeli defence bodies were found 53.

No public evidence identified of Homebase holding any Foreign Military Sale notification, Direct Commercial Sale licence, or bilateral defence procurement agreement with the State of Israel.

Dual-Use Products & Tactical Variants

Homebase UK’s retail product range comprised consumer home-improvement and garden goods, including own-brand “Powerbase” garden tools and stocked brands such as Black & Decker, Bosch, Kärcher, Keter, and SodaStream 5. No public evidence identified of ruggedised, mil-spec, or tactical variants of any Homebase-branded or Homebase-stocked product being developed for, marketed to, or supplied to Israeli security forces.

Neither Homebase entity appears in the UK Government’s export control licensing data for Israel as a holder of a Standard Individual Export Licence, Open Individual Export Licence, or any other export authorisation for dual-use goods destined for Israel 14. No end-user certificates, military end-user assurances, or dual-use goods notifications naming either Homebase entity were identified in publicly accessible regulatory records.

Homebase (software) offers scheduling, payroll integration, and HR management tools oriented exclusively to civilian SMB customers 3. No tactical, command-and-control, surveillance, intelligence analysis, or force-management variant of the Homebase software platform was identified in publicly available product documentation, investor materials, or third-party reporting 1110.

Heavy Machinery, Construction & Infrastructure

No public evidence identified of Homebase-branded or Homebase-supplied heavy machinery or construction equipment being used in the construction or maintenance of Israeli settlements, the separation barrier, military installations, checkpoints, or detention facilities in the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, or the Golan Heights. No construction, engineering, or infrastructure contracts between either Homebase entity and Israeli government bodies, West Bank municipal authorities, or private settlement-construction companies were identified in any procurement, corporate, or regulatory record.

Two pre-2020 indirect retail supply-chain relationships involving Israeli-linked manufacturers merit documentation for completeness. Neither relationship involves heavy machinery, construction equipment, or military infrastructure, and both are superseded by the closure of the relevant manufacturing operations.

Keter Group (pre-2020, civilian consumer goods): Homebase UK stocked Keter-branded plastic outdoor furniture and garden storage products as part of its standard retail range 5. Who Profits documented that Keter Plastic operated a factory at the Barkan Industrial Zone - an illegal West Bank settlement established on agricultural land taken from the Palestinian villages of Haris, Bruqin, and Sarta - and maintained a company profile on that basis 15. A subsequent Who Profits field update recorded that Keter Plastic ended its activity in the occupied Palestinian territory, with evidence of cessation confirmed as of approximately November 2016 16. Keter Group is a global manufacturer of resin-based consumer goods and garden products, not a construction or heavy-machinery enterprise 17. A CJPME factsheet documented a BDS-aligned consumer boycott campaign targeting Keter products retailed by UK and Canadian stockists circa 2013, identifying Homebase as one of multiple retailers carrying the brand 18. Homebase’s role in this context was as a downstream retail stockist of finished consumer goods; it was not a direct supplier to any settlement-based production operation, and no military dimension to the Keter–Homebase retail relationship was identified 1516.

SodaStream (pre-2020, civilian consumer goods): Homebase UK retailed SodaStream carbonated-water appliances and CO₂ cylinder exchange services as part of its standard range 5. SodaStream operated a manufacturing facility at Mishor Adumim, a designated Israeli industrial zone in the West Bank, which it closed in October 2015 following a sustained international BDS campaign 1920. Who Profits confirmed SodaStream’s completion of its withdrawal from the Mishor Adumim factory 21. As with Keter, Homebase’s role was that of a downstream retail stockist of finished civilian consumer appliances; no military end-use dimension was identified, and the settlement-based production arrangement concluded prior to 2020 192021.

Supply Chain Integration with Defence Primes

No public evidence identified of any supply, component, or service relationship between either Homebase entity and Israeli defence prime contractors, including Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israeli Military Industries (IMI/Elbit Land), or any other vertically integrated Israeli or Israel-linked defence manufacturer.

Homebase UK operated as a consumer retail business whose supply chain comprised standard commercial consumer goods sourced from mainstream retail suppliers 5. Homebase (software) is a workforce-management SaaS platform with no documented involvement in aerospace, precision engineering, materials science, electronics manufacturing, or other component categories relevant to Israeli defence prime supply chains 3. No co-production agreement, licensed manufacture arrangement, joint development programme, or preferred supplier designation linking either Homebase entity to an Israeli defence prime was found in Companies House filings 89, trade-press archives, or regulatory databases.

Logistical Sustainment & Base Services

No public evidence identified of either Homebase entity holding contracts for catering, transport, fuel supply, facilities management, waste services, construction maintenance, or any other base-support or logistical sustainment service delivered to IDF installations, military training facilities, Israeli detention centres, or other security installations.

Homebase UK operated an exclusively UK-domiciled retail store network 5; Homebase (software) operates from San Francisco with a US-focused customer base 3. Neither entity has documented operations in the West Bank, Golan Heights, East Jerusalem, or any Israeli military zone. No shipping, freight-forwarding, port-handling, or military logistics contract servicing Israeli defence supply chains was identified for either entity. No fuel, utilities, or base-operations service agreements with Israeli security bodies were found in Companies House filings 8 or in public procurement announcements.

Munitions, Weapons Systems & Strategic Platforms

No public evidence identified of either Homebase entity manufacturing, supplying, or financing small arms, ammunition, artillery systems, armoured vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), naval platforms, or any other lethal or kinetic weapons system delivered or intended for delivery to Israeli forces or any other party to the conflict.

Neither Homebase entity is a defence manufacturer or weapons integrator 53. No role as prime contractor, licensed manufacturer, critical subcomponent supplier, or systems integrator in any Israeli or Israel-bound weapons programme - including the Iron Dome and David’s Sling air-defence systems, the Arrow ballistic-missile defence programme, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Merkava main battle tank, Hermes or Heron UAV platforms, or Israeli naval vessel programmes - was found in any publicly accessible procurement, export, or corporate disclosure record. No munitions precursor, propellant, explosive, energetic material, or warhead-component supply relationship between either Homebase entity and any weapons manufacturer or authority was identified.

Export Licensing, Regulatory & Legal History

The UK Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) publishes management information on export licence decisions for Israel on a rolling quarterly basis 14. The most recently available dataset, covering data to 31 July 2025, contains no licence-holder entry corresponding to either Homebase entity, whether as applicant, holder, or named exporter, for any goods category 14. No Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL), Open Individual Export Licence (OIEL), or other export authorisation was identified as having been granted to, applied for by, refused to, or revoked from either Homebase entity in connection with Israel-bound goods.

No enforcement actions, cautions, civil penalties, or criminal prosecutions by the ECJU, HMRC, or any equivalent regulatory authority involving either Homebase entity in connection with Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, or arms-export compliance were found in publicly searchable judicial or regulatory records. No court proceedings, judicial review applications, or legal challenges involving either Homebase entity in connection with Israeli defence supply, export control, or settlement-linked commerce were identified. Homebase UK’s November 2024 administration proceedings and all associated Companies House filings 82 relate entirely to commercial insolvency and contain no defence-sector, export-control, or sanctions dimension.

Civil Society Scrutiny & Documented Investigations

UN and Intergovernmental Screening:

The OHCHR formal database of business enterprises, maintained pursuant to Human Rights Council Resolutions 31/36 and 53/25, does not list either Homebase entity 22. The September 2025 update to this database (A/HRC/60/19), covering 158 enterprises across 11 countries, was confirmed via OHCHR press release and the associated advance-edited report document not to include Homebase 2324. The Wikipedia compilation of companies drawn from the same UN database does not reference Homebase 25. The Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Francesca Albanese, published report A/HRC/59/23 (“From economy of occupation to economy of genocide”) in July 2025, identifying 48 primary corporate actors 26; Al Jazeera’s summary reporting on that report confirms neither Homebase entity is among the named companies 27.

NGO Investigation Databases:

PAX’s June 2024 report “The Companies Arming Israel and Their Financiers” does not identify either Homebase entity as a named actor 28. The AFSC Investigate database of companies profiting from the Gaza conflict contains no company profile for either Homebase entity 29. Al-Haq’s July 2024 booklet “Business and Human Rights in Palestine” does not name Homebase 3031. The Don’t Buy Into Occupation 2024 (DBIO IV) company annex does not include Homebase 32. Who Profits, which profiles companies with documented links to Israeli settlement or military sectors, maintains no company profile for either Homebase entity 1516. The Wikipedia list of companies operating in West Bank settlements, compiled from UN and NGO sources, does not list Homebase 25. The Wikipedia list of companies involved in the Gaza war does not include Homebase 33.

Boycott and Divestment Campaigns:

No public evidence identified of any sustained, dedicated boycott, divestment, or exclusion campaign specifically targeting either Homebase entity on grounds of its defence-sector or settlement-linked activities. Pre-2020 BDS consumer boycott materials published by CJPME identified Keter Plastic as a settlement-linked manufacturer and named Homebase as one of multiple UK retailers stocking Keter products 18; the BDS campaign was directed at the manufacturer rather than the retailer. BDS Movement communications regarding SodaStream’s Mishor Adumim factory similarly mentioned Homebase incidentally as one of several UK retail outlets carrying the brand 19; those campaigns concluded with SodaStream’s factory closure in October 2015 2021. Neither Homebase entity appears on the BDS Movement’s current priority corporate target list, the DBIO IV company annex 32, or any equivalent published exclusion list identified in this investigation.

Corporate and Investor Response:

No public evidence identified of either Homebase entity issuing policy statements, contract terminations, supply-chain audits, or end-use monitoring commitments in response to civil-society pressure concerning defence or settlement-linked activity. Homebase UK entered administration in November 2024 2, and the acquiring entity, CDS Superstores (The Range), completed the brand and store acquisition without issuing any public statement addressing Military-domain concerns 1. Homebase (software) has published no investor-pressure response, conflict-related policy commitment, or supply-chain human-rights statement pertinent to this audit domain 3.

Controlling Principals:

Hilco Capital, which owned Homebase UK from 2018 until administration in 2024, is a British commercial restructuring firm 67; no documented Israeli military investments, IDF-support organisational affiliations, or defence-industry board roles were found for Hilco Capital or its named principals. Directors of record at Companies House carry no Israeli defence-sector affiliations 89. Homebase (software) founder and CEO John Waldmann holds a Stanford MBA and prior roles at KKR Capstone and Boston Consulting Group; no Israeli military service, Unit 8200 background, or defence-sector advisory role was identified 12. Bain Capital Ventures, which led Homebase (software)‘s Series B financing, maintains an Israeli technology investment practice, and Bain Capital’s parent entity was among the co-signatories of a 500-firm statement of support for Israel issued in October 2023 3435; however, no Bain Capital Ventures portfolio company co-invested alongside Homebase was identified as supplying the Israeli military, and no Homebase product or revenue stream was linked to Israeli defence end-users. L Catterton led the $60 million Series D financing in April 2024 11; no military dimension to L Catterton’s Israeli portfolio investments was identified. Emerson Collective also participated in the Series D round 11; no Israeli military-adjacent investments or affiliations for Emerson Collective were identified.

Footnotes

  1. https://kbbfocus.com/news/4477-the-range-owner-buys-homebase-after-retailer-falls-into-administration ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hhgl-limited-and-hampden-group-limited-trading-as-homebase-in-administration-information-for-employees-and-creditors ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebase_(software_company) ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  4. https://www.linkedin.com/company/home-base-il ↩

  5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebase ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilco_Capital ↩ ↩2

  7. https://www.bheta.co.uk/news/retailer-news/hilco-a-year-of-progress-at-homebase/ ↩ ↩2

  8. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04071533 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  9. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04071533/officers ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  10. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210729005066/en/Homebase-Announces-%2471-Million-in-Series-C-Funding ↩ ↩2

  11. https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/03/team-management-app-homebase-60m-series-d-smb/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  12. https://www.crunchbase.com/person/john-waldmann ↩ ↩2

  13. https://www.sibat.mod.gov.il/Industries/directory/Pages/default.aspx ↩

  14. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/export-control-licensing-management-information-for-israel/israel-export-control-licensing-data-31-july-2025 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  15. https://www.whoprofits.org/companies/company/4060 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  16. https://www.whoprofits.org/publications/report/133 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keter_Group ↩

  18. https://www.cjpme.org/fs_249 ↩ ↩2

  19. https://www.bdsmovement.net/news/sodastream-close-illegal-settlement-factory-response-growing-boycott-campaign ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SodaStream ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  21. https://www.whoprofits.org/publications/report/120 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  22. https://www.ohchr.org/en/business/bhr-database ↩

  23. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/un-human-rights-office-updates-database-businesses-involved-israeli ↩

  24. https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/ahrc6019-database-all-business-enterprises-involved-activities-detailed ↩

  25. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_in_West_Bank_settlements ↩ ↩2

  26. https://www.un.org/unispal/document/a-hrc-59-23-from-economy-of-occupation-to-economy-of-genocide-report-special-rapporteur-francesca-albanese-palestine-2025/ ↩

  27. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/1/un-report-lists-companies-complicit-in-israels-genocide-who-are-they ↩

  28. https://paxforpeace.nl/publications/the-companies-arming-israel-and-their-financiers/ ↩

  29. https://afsc.org/gaza-genocide-companies ↩

  30. https://www.alhaq.org/cached_uploads/download/2024/07/04/business-and-human-rights-booklet-1720077751.pdf ↩

  31. https://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/business-human-rights ↩

  32. https://dontbuyintooccupation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024_DBIO-IV_Company-list.pdf ↩ ↩2

  33. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_involved_in_the_Gaza_war ↩

  34. https://finder.startupnationcentral.org/investor_page/bain-capital-ventures?section=portfolio ↩

  35. https://www.baincapital.com/news/more-500-vc-firms-sign-public-statement-support-israel ↩