Botguard raises €45 million Series B led by Dawn Capital; rebrands to Blackwall
Blackwall, deployed across 2.3M+ websites and applications, is an AI-enabled security and web infrastructure company dedicated to safeguarding web ecosystems from automated threats.
Previously known as Botguard, Blackwall has secured a €45 million Series B funding round led by Dawn Capital, with participation from existing investors MMC.
Having already launched into the US and APAC, the company will use its new capital to double headcount as it expands further in these key markets, and invest in intense product development.
LONDON, March 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackwall, the global AI-enabled security and web infrastructure company founded in 2019 by Nikita Rozenberg (CEO) and Denis Prochko (CTO), today announced that it has raised a €45 million Series B round led by Dawn Capital, Europe's leading B2B investor.
Already deployed across more than 2.3 million websites and applications, Blackwall defends web ecosystems from malicious automated threats.
Around 50% of all global web traffic stems from bots, 66% of which is malicious. Traditional solutions are priced and designed for enterprises, leaving SMBs - subject to 43% of all cyber attacks - vulnerable.
Blackwall partners with Hosting Services Providers (HSPs), Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and eCommerce Platforms, which typically host thousands to hundreds of thousands of websites. This in turn protects the SMB customers that use Blackwall via their service and hosting providers.
Unwanted bot traffic throttles networks, and AI is driving the volume and sophistication of attacks HSPs and MSPs have to manage. This increases their costs while slowing down end customers' sites. While big providers can afford to spend millions on in-house product development, many HSPs and MSPs need external support to deal with the problem.
Blackwall's flagship product, GateKeeper, is an advanced reverse proxy fortified with next-generation bot and attack detection mechanisms. It proxies requests to hide servers from bots and hacker attacks, allowing HSPs and MSPs to reduce operational costs by up to 25% as they maximise server farm user density, and helps maximise revenue for these providers which underpin operations for millions of SMBs worldwide. Blackwall helps HSPs/MSPs increase margins by growing revenue through scalable, high-value security services that attract new customers and open additional, recurring income streams.
'Blackwall has only scratched the surface of the US and APAC opportunity' - Norman Fiore, General Partner, Dawn Capital
Led by Dawn Capital, with participation from existing investors MMC, Blackwall's Series B funding will be used to double headcount and accelerate growth as the company expands further into the U.S. and APAC, and strengthens global channel partnerships.
Nikita Rozenberg, Co-Founder & CEO, commented: 'With Blackwall, we are taking our mission to the next level—delivering gold-standard infrastructure protection to SMBs that have traditionally been overlooked. This funding enables us to scale globally and continue innovating for the businesses that need it most.'
Norman Fiore, General Partner, Dawn Capital commented: 'It is rare to see a business targeting SMBs which has such a broad offer, of which each component is best of breed. Blackwall's innovative technology provides exactly that.'
'Nik and Denis have devised a winning, channel-first strategy for their excellent product, and relentlessly executed on their bold vision. Blackwall has only scratched the surface of the expansive opportunity in North America and APAC, and we are confident that the company is uniquely positioned to transform how SMBs access advanced security solutions. We're thrilled to be supporting the team as they further scale and pioneer a new approach to infrastructure protection.'
Mina Samaan, General Partner, MMC Ventures, said: 'We have been impressed by Nik and Denis's vision and execution from the start and we're excited to back them again in this latest funding round. Blackwall's approach—tackling malicious and useless traffic at the infrastructure layer—addresses a critical gap in the market, providing much-needed protection to hosting providers and smaller businesses. With the rise of AI-driven threats, Blackwall's products have never been more essential, and we believe it will become a leading force protecting against bots and other digital threats.'
Blackwall also welcomes Norman Fiore, Co-Founder & GP at Dawn Capital, to its board, as well as Shamillah Bankiya, Principal at Dawn Capital. Roi Carthy, Co-Founder & CEO at Hudson Rock, will also join as Executive Chairman.
About Blackwall
Blackwall (formerly BotGuard), is an AI-enabled security and web infrastructure company dedicated to safeguarding web ecosystems from automated threats. Deployed across 2.3M+ websites and applications, GateKeeper, the company's flagship product, is trusted by 100+ service & hosting partners globally to enhance performance, reduce operational costs, and maximize revenue by protecting SMB customers worldwide against emerging threats with simplicity, affordability, and scalability. Learn more at www.blackwall.com.
About Dawn Capital
Dawn is Europe's leading specialist B2B software investor, with assets under management of over $2bn. Dawn is primarily an early-stage investor, backing companies from Series A and B, and continuing to fund the top-performing through growth rounds to exit. Its roster of investments includes Mimecast (formerly NASDAQ-listed, taken private by Permira in a $5.8bn transaction), iZettle (sold to PayPal for $2.2bn cash), Tink (purchased by Visa for $2.0bn), LeanIX (acquired by SAP), as well as current market leaders, Collibra, Dataiku, Quantexa, Soldo, and Copper, amongst others.
Dawn is currently investing from Dawn Capital V, the firm's $620m fifth flagship fund, and Dawn Opportunities Fund, a $80m fund to enable Dawn to double down on its best performing companies to exit.
About MMC Ventures
MMC is a leading European venture capital firm with a research-driven approach. It invests in early-stage transformative technology companies that utilise AI and data science across sectors including enterprise AI, fintech, data-driven health and cloud & data infrastructure. Examples of companies MMC has backed include: Synthesia, Copper, Signal AI, Interactive Investor, Current Health, YuLife and Cloudsmith.
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