Proofpoint signs agreement to acquire HornetSecurity
Proofpoint, Inc., a leading cybersecurity and compliance company, recently announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Hornetsecurity Group, a leading pan-European provider of AI-powered Microsoft 365 (M365) security, data protection, compliance, and security awareness services.
The acquisition significantly enhances Proofpoint's ability to provide human-centric security to small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) globally through managed service providers (MSPs), further enabling all organisations to protect their people and defend their data. By combining Proofpoint's global leadership with Hornetsecurity's deep expertise in the MSP ecosystem, the two companies will advance their shared mission to protect organisations of all sizes and the people behind them.
Hornetsecurity brings a high-performing business into the Proofpoint portfolio with over $160 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), more than 20 percent year-over-year growth, and performance above the Rule of 60 – an indicator of healthy market demand and exceptional business operations at scale.
Hornetsecurity and Proofpoint deliver world-class solutions servicing distinct segments of the market; Hornetsecurity provides solutions to over 12,000 channel partners and MSPs and more than 125,000 SMBs across Europe, while Proofpoint has established itself as a global leader in enterprise-grade security, trusted by 85 percent of the Fortune 100 and over half of the Fortune 1000. Together, the companies will deliver complementary, purpose-built platforms fuelled by shared threat intelligence to serve every customer across the globe with a powerful new standard in human-centric security.
'As attackers grow more sophisticated and people remain the primary target, organisations need security that protects them wherever they work—across email, cloud applications, and every digital channel', said Sumit Dhawan, CEO of Proofpoint. 'With the addition of Hornetsecurity, we're excited to extend our industry-leading, human-centric security platform to better serve the unique needs of MSPs and SMBs. We look forward to deepening our investment in the European markets as part of our global growth strategy'.
'Hornetsecurity's AI-powered security platform enables thousands of MSPs to deliver enterprise-grade protection to their SMB customers across Europe', said Daniel Hofmann, founder and CEO of Hornetsecurity. 'With the breadth of human-centric risks only growing, joining Proofpoint is a natural next step in our journey to build the strongest global offering of M365 security services. By coming together, we can better serve our partners and customers and extend that protection globally to help MSPs everywhere safeguard their customers' people, data, and operations'.
With M365 at the centre of how many businesses operate, it has also become a top target for attackers. Proofpoint's recently expanded partnership with Microsoft supports scalable innovation and delivers human-centric security to help mutual customers proactively detect and mitigate threats targeting people and the data they work with.
Hornetsecurity's flagship product, 365 Total Protection, is the most comprehensive cloud security solution for M365, giving MSPs a multi-tenant, unified platform to deliver integrated services including advanced email security, backup, security awareness, access and permission control, and domain fraud protection. The Hornetsecurity team will continue to drive innovation across their Total Protection product platform to deliver additional innovative solutions to their partners and customers. Through the combination of shared threat intelligence and AI models, both Proofpoint and Hornetsecurity customers and partners will benefit from improved efficacy of their leading detection ensembles against threat actors.
Upon closing, Proofpoint intends to leverage its global reach to make the power of the Hornetsecurity platform available for MSPs and their customers worldwide – advancing the shared mission of protecting every organisation's people, data and operations. Hornetsecurity will serve as the central hub for all MSP and SMB customers within the group—ensuring a unified approach, enhanced service delivery, and accelerated innovation tailored to the needs of these key customer segments.
Hornetsecurity's CEO Daniel Hofmann will remain at the helm of the company, continuing to drive its strategic growth and vision. The management team will remain on board, championing the company's vision and proven product strategy—while accelerating innovation to deliver the next generation of cybersecurity solutions.
The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. Terms of the deal are confidential.
Image Credit: Proofpoint
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