Better people-centric security for SMEs
The acquisition strengthens Proofpoint's capabilities to offer people-centric security to SMEs worldwide through managed service providers (MSPs). This allows all organizations to better protect their people and data. Thanks to the combination of Proofpoint's global leadership and Hornetsecurity's expertise in the MSP ecosystem, both companies can accelerate their joint mission: to protect businesses and their employees, regardless of their size
Hornetsecurity brings a high-performing company to Proofpoint's portfolio, with over 143 million euros in annual recurring revenue (ARR). They also have more than twenty percent year-over-year growth and performance above the 'Rule of 60'. This indicates healthy market demand and strong business operations at scale.
Hornetsecurity and Proofpoint serve different segments of the market. Hornetsecurity provides solutions to over 12,000 channel partners and MSPs, and more than 125,000 SMEs in Europe. Proofpoint is the global market leader in enterprise security and is trusted by 85 percent of the Fortune 100 and more than half of the Fortune 1000. Together, the two companies will deliver complementary, purpose-built platforms powered by shared threat intelligence. This way, they provide every customer worldwide with a powerful new standard in people-centric security.
"As attackers continue to evolve and people remain the primary target, organizations need security that protects them, no matter where they work. This applies to email, cloud applications, and every digital channel," says Sumit Dhawan, CEO of Proofpoint. "With the addition of Hornetsecurity, we are excited to expand our leading people-centric security platform to meet the unique needs of MSPs and SMEs. We look forward to deepening our investment in European markets as part of our global growth strategy."
"Hornetsecurity's AI-driven security platform enables thousands of MSPs to deliver enterprise-level protection to SMEs in Europe," says Daniel Hofmann, founder and CEO of Hornetsecurity. "As the number of people-centric risks continues to rise, joining Proofpoint is the next logical step in our mission to build the strongest global offering of M365 security services. By working together, we provide a better offering for our partners and customers. This also expands protection globally, allowing MSPs everywhere to better secure their customers, data, and operations."
M365 is central to many business operations and has therefore become the largest target for attackers. Proofpoint's recent extensive partnership with Microsoft supports scalable innovation and delivers people-centric security. This helps 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. It provides MSPs with a multi-tenant, uniform platform for delivering integrated services. These include advanced email security, backup, security awareness, access and permission management, and protection against domain fraud. The Hornetsecurity team continues to innovate their Total Protection product platform to deliver new, innovative solutions to partners and customers. Thanks to the combination of shared threat intelligence and AI models, customers and partners of both Proofpoint and Hornetsecurity benefit from improved efficiency in their advanced detection ensembles against threat actors.
Upon completion of the acquisition, Proofpoint plans to leverage its global reach to make the Hornetsecurity platform available to MSPs and their customers. This strengthens the shared mission to protect the people, data, and operations of organizations. Hornetsecurity will serve as the central hub for all MSP and SME customers within the group. This ensures a uniform approach, improved service delivery, and accelerated innovation tailored to the specific needs of these key customer segments.
Hornetsecurity's CEO, Daniel Hofmann, will remain at the helm of the company and will continue to drive the strategic growth and vision of the company. The management team will also remain in place and is committed to continuing the company's vision and proven product strategy. They are also dedicated to accelerating innovation to deliver the next generation of cybersecurity solutions.
The acquisition is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025, subject to customary conditions. The terms of the agreement are confidential.
