Proofpoint has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Hornetsecurity Group, a pan-European provider of AI-powered Microsoft 365 security, data protection, compliance, and security awareness services.
The acquisition bolsters Proofpoint’s ability to provide human-centric security to small and mid-sized businesses globally through managed service providers (MSPs), further enabling all organisations to protect their people and defend their data.
Hornetsecurity brings a high-performing business into the Proofpoint portfolio with over USD160 million in annual recurring revenue, more than 20% 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 service distinct segments of the market. Hornetsecurity provides solutions to over 12,000 channel partners and MSPs and more than 125,000 small and medium-sized businesses across Europe, while Proofpoint sells enterprise-grade security. The companies will deliver complementary, purpose-built platforms backed by shared threat intelligence.
“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 Proofpoint CEO Sumit Dhawan. “With the addition of Hornetsecurity, we’re excited to extend our security platform to better serve the unique needs of MSPs and small and mid-sized businesses. 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 small and mid-sized business customers across Europe,” said Hornetsecurity CEO Daniel Hofmann. “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 Microsoft 365 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,” he added.
With Microsoft 365 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, gives 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 its Total Protection product platform to deliver additional innovative solutions to its partners and customers. Through the combination of shared threat intelligence and AI models, Proofpoint and Hornetsecurity customers and partners will benefit from the improved efficacy of their 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. 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 the company, continuing to drive its strategic growth and vision. The management team will remain on board, championing the 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. The terms of the deal are confidential.
