Proofpoint to acquire Hornetsecurity to boost M365 security

Proofpoint has signed an agreement to acquire Hornetsecurity Group, a provider of Microsoft 365 (M365) security and compliance services targeted at managed service providers (MSPs) and small to mid-sized businesses.

The pending acquisition is positioned to broaden Proofpoint's service capabilities, particularly for MSPs serving the SMB segment, and to support the global expansion of both organisations' human-centric security strategies.

Hornetsecurity operates a business with over USD $160 million in annual recurring revenue and has recorded more than 20 percent year-over-year growth, surpassing the "Rule of 60" metric that marks strong operational and market performance. The company works with over 12,000 channel partners and MSPs and services more than 125,000 SMB customers across Europe.

Proofpoint delivers enterprise-grade security solutions, with 85 percent of the Fortune 100 and over half of the Fortune 1000 among its customer base. The combination of Proofpoint and Hornetsecurity is expected to offer complementary platforms powered by shared threat intelligence and to expand access to human-centric security for organisations of all sizes.

Sumit Dhawan, Chief Executive Officer of Proofpoint, stated, "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. 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."

Daniel Hofmann, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hornetsecurity, said, "Hornetsecurity's AI-powered security platform enables thousands of MSPs to deliver enterprise-grade protection to their SMB customers across Europe. 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."

Microsoft 365 is central to the workflow of many businesses and, as such, remains a consistent target for threat actors. Proofpoint recently expanded its partnership with Microsoft to deliver human-centric security aimed at detecting and mitigating threats to both users and data on the M365 platform.

Hornetsecurity's principal offering, 365 Total Protection, is a security solution for M365, providing MSPs with a unified and multi-tenant platform. The platform delivers integrated services such as advanced email security, backup, security awareness, access and permission control, and domain fraud protection. The Hornetsecurity team will continue to develop its Total Protection platform to deliver new security solutions for its partners and customers, with shared threat intelligence resources expected to improve detection capabilities for both companies' customer bases.

Following completion of the acquisition, Proofpoint plans to make the Hornetsecurity platform available for MSPs and their clients worldwide. Hornetsecurity will become the main hub for all MSP and SMB customers within Proofpoint's group structure, with a stated focus on consistent service delivery and accelerated product innovation for these segments.

Daniel Hofmann will remain as Chief Executive Officer of Hornetsecurity, with the current management team continuing in their roles to pursue the company's existing strategy and product roadmap.

The financial details of the deal have not been disclosed. The transaction is anticipated to close during the second half of 2025, pending the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.