Darktrace

What Darktrace does

Darktrace is a UK-headquartered artificial intelligence cybersecurity company founded in Cambridge in 2013 that builds and sells the Darktrace ActiveAI Security Platform, a unified behavioral-AI system for detecting and autonomously responding to novel cyber threats across network, email, cloud, operational technology (OT), identity, and endpoint domains. Its core technology, branded Self-Learning AI, constructs a unique 'pattern of life' for every customer environment in real time, enabling unsupervised anomaly detection that does not rely on signatures, training labels, or threat intelligence feeds; complementary capabilities include the Cyber AI Analyst (autonomous investigation that accelerates triage roughly 10x) and an Autonomous Response module that can contain attacks without disrupting business operations. The portfolio extends to Darktrace/SECURE AI (behavioral monitoring of enterprise AI agents), Adaptive Human Defense (AI-driven security coaching), and add-on modules for attack surface management, forensic investigation, and incident recovery, with Darktrace Federal serving the US public sector.

The company serves nearly 10,000 customers across all major industries — including manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, government, education, aerospace, and retail — through a combination of direct enterprise field sales, the Darktrace Defenders Partner Program for MSSP and reseller channels, and integrations with Microsoft, AWS, and Google Cloud. Revenue is generated primarily through annual and multi-year subscription contracts for platform and module access, supplemented by per-mailbox licensing for MSSP email-security deployments and professional services including managed detection and response. R&D is concentrated in Cambridge and The Hague, with a stated portfolio of more than 200 patent applications.

In 2024, Thoma Bravo acquired Darktrace for approximately $5.3 billion (£4.3 billion), taking the company private after its prior London Stock Exchange listing. The business operates with 2,300-2,400 employees globally, has earned recognition as a Leader in the 2025 and 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrants for NDR, and holds ISO/IEC 42001, ISO 27001, and ISO 27018 certifications. In early 2026 the company appointed Ed Jennings as President and CEO following a leadership transition initiated by Thoma Bravo, alongside a refreshed executive team including a new CRO, CFO, and CLO.

Name

Darktrace

Legal name

Darktrace Holdings Limited

Website

https://darktrace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Darktrace is a Cambridge, UK-based AI cybersecurity company that sells a Self-Learning AI platform for behavioral threat detection and autonomous response across network, email, cloud, OT, identity, and endpoint, serving nearly 10,000 enterprise and government customers globally as a Thoma Bravo-owned private company.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI Cybersecurity Platform (Network Detection & Response / Email / Cloud / OT / Identity / Endpoint Security)

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Security Systems Services (56162), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHDADAGAB

SOAR & Security Automation

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Cybersecurity/Security Operations & Threat Intelligence (SIEM/SOAR/UEBA)

SECONDARYHDADAGAJ

Attack Detection & Response for Cloud/SaaS (SOC for Cloud)

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Cybersecurity/Security Operations & Threat Intelligence (SIEM/SOAR/UEBA)

SECONDARYHDADAKAB

Email Phishing & BEC Protection

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Cybersecurity/Email & Collaboration Security

SECONDARYBPAEADAH

Endpoint Security Managed Services (EDR/XDR)

Business & Public Services/IT & Digital Services (Managed Services, Systems Integration)/Cybersecurity Services (MSSP)

SECONDARYBPAEADAC

Threat Intelligence Services

Business & Public Services/IT & Digital Services (Managed Services, Systems Integration)/Cybersecurity Services (MSSP)

Keywords

• AI cybersecurity platform
• Network detection response
• Email threat protection
• Operational technology security
• Autonomous cyber defense

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription-based SaaS: Annual and multi-year subscription contracts for platform access across network, email, cloud, OT, identity and endpoint security modules
2. Per-mailbox licensing: Fixed per-mailbox SKU with monthly licensing flexibility for email security offerings, particularly for MSSP partners
3. Professional Services: Implementation, integration, and ongoing support services including Security Operations Support and Managed Detection & Response services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Darktrace builds and sells an AI-native cybersecurity platform called the Darktrace ActiveAI Security Platform, which uses Self-Learning AI to learn each customer's behavioral patterns and detect, investigate, and autonomously respond to novel cyber threats across network, email, cloud, OT, identity, endpoint, and AI systems. It packages this platform as modular SaaS products (NETWORK, EMAIL, CLOUD, SECURE AI, OT, IDENTITY, ENDPOINT) plus add-ons such as Cyber AI Analyst, Attack Surface Management, and Adaptive Human Defense, sold primarily through annual and multi-year enterprise subscriptions with optional Managed Detection & Response services.

Product overview

Darktrace offers the Darktrace ActiveAI Security Platform, a unified platform-plus-modules architecture providing proactive cybersecurity across the enterprise. The core platform correlates threats across entire organizations with real-time detection and autonomous response. Individual products include: Darktrace/NETWORK (NDR), Darktrace/EMAIL (email security), Darktrace/CLOUD (cloud security), Darktrace/SECURE AI (AI system security), Darktrace/OT (operational technology security), Darktrace/IDENTITY (identity protection), and Darktrace/ENDPOINT (endpoint security). Additional modules include Proactive Exposure Management, Attack Surface Management, Forensic Acquisition & Investigation, Incident Readiness & Recovery, and Cyber AI Analyst (AI-powered investigation). Add-on products include Adaptive Human Defense (security awareness training) and specialized services including Managed Detection & Response and Darktrace Federal for government customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Darktrace Federal: U.S. federal government division providing cybersecurity solutions tailored for government agencies and diplomatic infrastructure.

Products and services

• Darktrace ActiveAI Security Platform Core unified cybersecurity platform that correlates threats across the entire organization, delivering proactive cyber resilience with real-time detection and autonomous response to known and novel threats across all digital environments.
• Darktrace / NETWORK Network Detection and Response (NDR) solution providing proactive protection and detection of known and unknown threats through behavioral analytics, achieving up to 8 days earlier threat detection than traditional methods.
• Darktrace / EMAIL Cloud-native AI email security solution built on Self-Learning AI that stops known and unknown threats in inbox and beyond, using multi-layered AI including NLP and behavioral analysis to detect business email compromise and novel techniques.
• Darktrace / CLOUD Comprehensive cloud security tool combining elements of CNAPP, CSPM and CDR (Cloud Detection and Response) to achieve cyber resilience in hybrid or multi-cloud environments.
• Darktrace / SECURE AI AI security product helping enterprises deploy and scale AI safely by understanding how AI systems behave, interact with other systems and humans, and evolve over time, extending behavioral understanding to AI agents.
• Darktrace / OT Operational Technology security solution purpose-built for critical infrastructure, unifying IT and OT coverage with comprehensive risk management that goes beyond CVE mapping.
• Darktrace / IDENTITY Identity security solution providing 360-degree user protection through unified identity security, proactive risk management, real-time threat detection and autonomous response across all applications.
• Darktrace / ENDPOINT Endpoint security solution that works alongside EDR to contain known and previously unseen network threats on endpoints, taking targeted autonomous action to secure entire organization.
• Darktrace / Adaptive Human Defense AI-powered security coaching platform that replaces static security awareness training with adaptive, real-time coaching integrated directly into user workflows, with personalized protection linked to email security.
• Proactive Exposure Management External attack surface management solution that proactively identifies and prioritizes organizational exposure before attackers can exploit vulnerabilities.
• Attack Surface Management Continuous discovery and analysis of external-facing digital assets to understand organizational attack surface from an adversary's perspective.
• Forensic Acquisition & Investigation Advanced forensic capabilities enabling deep investigation of security incidents with complete data acquisition and analysis tools.
• Incident Readiness & Recovery Comprehensive incident response preparation and recovery tools to ensure organizational resilience following security incidents.
• Darktrace Cyber AI Analyst AI-powered investigation capability that autonomously investigates alerts and generates natural language narratives, accelerating security triage by 10x.
• Darktrace Federal Specialized cybersecurity solutions for US federal government customers, including Darktrace Federal receiving State Department contract in December 2025 for AI-powered network defense.
• Darktrace Managed Detection & Response Managed security service providing continuous monitoring and response capabilities delivered by Darktrace's global SOC with 24/7 expert support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 77.2% of email blocked as spam or malicious at HARMAN International
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability9 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OpenAIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026Darktrace selected to join OpenAI Daybreak Cyber Partner Program to explore integrating OpenAI's advanced contextual capabilities with Darktrace's Self-Learning AI behavioral security technology. Partnership aims to help customers understand what cyber events mean for their business and prioritize responses based on potential impact. Product integrations will embed OpenAI cyber capabilities within Darktrace-managed workflows with constrained inputs, bounded outputs, and controls designed for authorized defensive use cases.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership with Microsoft for integrations across security solutions. Darktrace is listed as a Microsoft solution partner with integrations through Microsoft Security solutions.
• AWScoreTechnology or IntegrationAWS cloud partnership providing cloud security integrations and solutions. Darktrace has developed solutions for AWS environments including AWS-specific security capabilities.
• NavanminorOthersDarktrace selected Navan to modernize its global travel program with AI-powered unified platform for travel and payments. Partnership targets annual savings of more than £1 million and 95% user adoption rates. Deal reinforces Navan's position in enterprise market.
• MSSP PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDarktrace Defenders Partner Program enables MSSP partners to deliver AI-native managed email security services built on Darktrace/EMAIL solution. Includes multi-tenant Alert Triage Dashboard for MSSP operations at scale with flexible commercial models and scalable deployment paths.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• CrowdStrike: Direct competitor in AI-driven endpoint, NDR, and extended detection and response (XDR) for enterprise and government customers. CrowdStrike's Falcon platform overlaps with Darktrace's NETWORK, ENDPOINT, and IDENTITY products and competes head-to-head in enterprise security RFPs.
• SentinelOne: AI-native endpoint and cloud security platform with behavioral detection capabilities directly comparable to Darktrace's self-learning AI approach. Singularity XDR competes for the same enterprise and mid-market security buyers seeking autonomous detection and response.
• Vectra AI: Specialized Network Detection and Response (NDR) provider using AI-driven behavioral analytics to detect threats across cloud, identity, and SaaS. Vectra is the closest pure-play NDR competitor to Darktrace/NETWORK and competes in the same enterprise security analytics category.
• ExtraHop: Network Detection and Response (NDR) specialist focused on cloud-native and east-west traffic visibility, competing with Darktrace/NETWORK in mid-market and enterprise accounts. Both vendors emphasize behavioral analytics over signature-based detection.
• Abnormal Security: AI-native email security platform targeting business email compromise, phishing, and account takeover. Directly competes with Darktrace/EMAIL in the same enterprise buyer conversation, with comparable behavioral AI positioning.
• Claroty: Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Control Systems cybersecurity specialist competing with Darktrace/OT in critical infrastructure, manufacturing, and utilities. Both vendors address IT/OT convergence with passive monitoring and behavioral anomaly detection.
• Nozomi Networks: OT and IoT cybersecurity platform providing visibility, threat detection, and asset management for industrial environments. Direct competitor in the OT security category where Darktrace/OT also operates, particularly with utilities and critical infrastructure buyers.

Broad incumbents

• Palo Alto Networks: Broad cybersecurity platform covering network security (Cortex XDR), cloud (Prisma), and SOC automation (XSIAM). Palo Alto's AI-driven XDR and Cortex offerings compete with Darktrace's full platform while bundling NDR, endpoint, and cloud as part of a larger portfolio aimed at platform consolidation.
• Microsoft Security: Defender XDR, Sentinel SIEM, and Security Copilot represent the largest bundled threat detection and response portfolio, integrated natively with Microsoft 365 and Azure. Microsoft competes directly with Darktrace on email, identity, endpoint, and cloud, and is also a strategic technology partner.

Emerging players

• Tessian: Email security vendor focused on behavioral analysis to prevent data loss and phishing. Smaller and more narrowly scoped than Darktrace/EMAIL, but overlaps on AI-driven email threat detection for mid-market and regulated enterprises.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds10 records

Investors13 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Darktrace