Proofpoint has entered into an agreement to acquire Hornetsecurity Group, a Germany-based provider of Microsoft 365 security services, in a deal reportedly valued at more than $1 billion.
The acquisition, described as the largest in Proofpoint’s history, comes amid accelerating consolidation in the cybersecurity industry as companies seek to broaden their offerings to enterprise customers of all sizes. While Proofpoint did not disclose terms, CNBC reports the deal is “well over” $1 billion.
Hornetsecurity, headquartered in Hannover, Germany, serves more than 12,000 managed service providers (MSPs) and 125,000 small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) primarily across Europe. According to a press release announcing the deal, Hornetsecurity brings in $160 million in annual recurring revenue, with growth exceeding 20% year over year.
For Proofpoint, the acquisition provides an entry point into the SMB market through Hornetsecurity’s established MSP network.
“As attackers grow more sophisticated and people remain the primary target, organizations 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.”
Both companies concentrate on offering products that work within Microsoft’s cloud platform. Hornetsecurity’s flagship product, 365 Total Protection, provides MSPs with a multi-tenant platform that includes email security, backup, security awareness training, access control, and domain fraud protection. Proofpoint, which also touts a security software suite aimed at protecting Microsoft 365 instances, also recently expanded its partnership with Microsoft.
The deal follows several major acquisitions in the cybersecurity sector. In March, Google announced plans to acquire Israeli-founded cloud security startup Wiz for $32 billion, while Palo Alto Networks revealed its intention in April to purchase AI-focused startup Protect AI.
The transaction comes as Proofpoint, which was taken private by Thoma Bravo in 2021 for $12.3 billion, is exploring an IPO, according to the CNBC report.
The Hornetsecurity transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2025.