Proofpoint, Inc., a pioneer in human-centric cybersecurity, has finalized its $1.8 billion acquisition of Hornetsecurity Group, a dominant European provider of AI-driven Microsoft 365 security solutions.
The deal, announced today, catapults Proofpoint’s reach into the SMB market via MSP channels, arming smaller organizations with advanced threat protection amid rising AI-targeted attacks.
The acquisition aligns with Proofpoint’s mission to secure the “agentic workspace,” where humans and AI agents collaborate across email, cloud apps, and collaboration tools.
Hornetsecurity’s platform serves over 125,000 customers through more than 12,000 MSPs and partners, primarily in Europe, filling a critical gap in Proofpoint’s portfolio.
Hornetsecurity’s flagship, 365 Total Protection, delivers end-to-end M365 safeguards including email security, data backup, compliance, awareness training, and access controls in a multi-tenant dashboard tailored for MSPs. This eliminates the need for fragmented tools, enabling scalable protection without added complexity.
Proofpoint CEO Sumit Dhawan emphasized the synergy: “We’re thrilled to officially welcome Hornetsecurity to Proofpoint and further our mission to protect the emerging agentic workspace for customers of every size. Together, we will extend our human and agent-centric security leadership to safeguard people, AI agents, and data.”
Hornetsecurity will function as a dedicated Proofpoint business unit, led by founder Daniel Hofmann as executive vice president and general manager. His team retains control over product innovation and partner strategies, ensuring seamless service for existing users while tapping Proofpoint’s global threat intelligence.
Hofmann highlighted the partnership’s potential: “Joining Proofpoint marks a new chapter… our combined capabilities, shared threat intelligence, and aligned vision will drive a new level of innovation and value for our partners and customers globally.”
Hornetsecurity boasts nearly $200 million in annual recurring revenue, growing 20% year over year. The deal underscores Proofpoint’s European commitment and counters sophisticated threats such as BEC attacks, which Proofpoint already stops millions of times annually for 83% of Fortune 100 firms.
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