Hornetsecurity

What Hornetsecurity does

Hornetsecurity is a Hannover, Germany-based cloud security SaaS provider founded in 2010, specializing in integrated Microsoft 365 security, backup, compliance, and security awareness delivered through a channel-first model. Its flagship offering, 365 Total Protection, is a tiered suite spanning Plan 1 (foundational spam/malware filtering, encryption, signatures) through Plan 4 (AI Cyber Assistant, AI Recipient Validation, Teams Protection, AI Email Security Analyst, security awareness, and permission management), supplemented by standalone modules including 365 Total Backup, VM Backup, 365 Permission Manager, 365 Multi Tenant Manager, DMARC Manager, and Email Archiving/Continuity/Encryption. The underlying technology stack combines ML-based URL analysis (47+ characteristics), computer-vision phishing detection, NLP for SOC analyst support and recipient validation, and integrations with Microsoft Graph, Entra ID, SharePoint, Teams, Hyper-V, and VMware.

Hornetsecurity operates primarily through 12,000+ MSPs and channel partners serving 125,000+ end customers across 120+ countries, with the SMB segment as the primary buyer and MSPs as the core distribution unit. Revenue is generated via annual subscription billing across the four plan tiers; the company reports nearly $200 million in annual recurring revenue at the time of its December 2025 acquisition by Proofpoint for $1.8 billion. Post-acquisition, Hornetsecurity operates as a dedicated MSP-focused business unit within Proofpoint, led by founder Daniel Hofmann as Executive Vice President and General Manager, with expanded go-to-market into North America via a flagship Pax8 partnership and new U.S. data centers in Georgia. Historical ownership included PSG, Verdane, and a 2022 strategic growth investment from TA Associates, and the company has executed a sustained bolt-on M&A program including Vade Secure (2024), Altospam (2025), and earlier acquisitions of IT-Seal, Altaro, ZeroSpam, EveryCloud, and Spamina to deepen European density and product breadth.

Name

Hornetsecurity

Legal name

Hornetsecurity GmbH

Website

https://hornetsecurity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Hornetsecurity is a Hannover-based cloud security SaaS provider delivering integrated Microsoft 365 security, backup, compliance, and AI-powered threat protection to 125,000+ SMB customers through 12,000+ MSP and channel partners across 120+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud Email Security (Microsoft 365)

NAICS

Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621), Security Systems Services (56162), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Data Security & Privacy for Cloud (DLP, DSPM, Tokenization) (HDABAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cloud Security Managed Services (CSPM/CWPP/CNAPP) (BPAEADAF), Cybersecurity Management for SMB (Managed Security Add‑ons) (BPAEABAG), Data Security & Privacy Managed Services (DLP/Encryption) (BPAEADAL)

Keywords

• Microsoft 365 security
• Email security services
• Cloud security platform
• Managed security services
• Email threat protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanover

HQ country

Germany

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/SaaS Security Services: Recurring subscription revenue from cloud security services including 365 Total Protection (plans 1-4), email security, backup, compliance, and security awareness services. Hornetsecurity generates nearly $200 million in annual recurring revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hornetsecurity provides a cloud-based Microsoft 365 security, compliance, and backup platform delivered primarily through its 365 Total Protection suite (Plans 1–4) and individual modules for spam/malware protection, advanced threat protection, email encryption/archiving/continuity, DMARC management, Teams protection, AI Recipient Validation, security awareness, permission management, multi-tenant MSP management, and VM/server backup. The platform is sold predominantly to SMBs and mid-market organizations via a global channel of more than 12,000 MSPs and partners across 120+ countries.

Product overview

Hornetsecurity offers a next-generation cloud security and compliance platform for Microsoft 365, centered on its flagship 365 Total Protection suite. The platform follows a tiered architecture with four plans (Plan 1-4) providing escalating capabilities: Plan 1 covers foundational email security (spam/malware filtering, encryption, signatures); Plan 2 adds advanced threat protection, archiving, and continuity; Plan 3 includes unlimited Microsoft 365 backup; Plan 4 delivers the complete package powered by AI Cyber Assistant. Individual modules include Security Awareness Service, DMARC Manager, AI Cyber Assistant, Advanced Threat Protection, Email Encryption/Archiving/Continuity, Teams Protection, AI Recipient Validation, 365 Permission Manager, 365 Multi Tenant Manager, 365 Total Backup, VM Backup, Physical Server Backup, and Hornet.email. The M365 Security League is the AI-powered sub-brand encompassing interconnected AI security features. Following Proofpoint's $1.8B acquisition in December 2025, Hornetsecurity operates as a dedicated MSP-focused business unit serving over 12,000 channel partners and 125,000 customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 365 Total Protection: Comprehensive cloud security solution for Microsoft 365 including email security, backup, compliance, and governance features with multiple plan tiers.
• AI Cyber Assistant (AI.MY)
• 365 Multi Tenant Manager
• 365 Permission Manager
• Security Awareness Service

Products and services

• 365 Total Protection Comprehensive Microsoft 365 security suite offering email security, backup, security awareness, access control, and compliance capabilities, offered in four tiered plans (Plans 1–4) for SMBs and MSPs.
• AI Cyber Assistant AI-powered security assistant that supports end users and administrators in daily operations, providing threat analysis, risk assessments, automated remediation recommendations, and SOC analyst support via natural language interaction.
• Teams Protection Microsoft Teams security module that scans all messages containing URLs using AI, issues warning messages via AI Cyber Assistant bot, and enables admins to remediate threats including automatic deletion of malicious chats.
• AI Recipient Validation AI-powered email recipient validation service that analyzes communication patterns to detect unusual recipient errors, similar names, and misdirected emails before sending, preventing data breaches from misdirected communications.
• Security Awareness Service Automated continuous security awareness training solution that transforms employees into an additional line of defense through ongoing training, awareness benchmarking, spear-phishing simulation, and e-learning.
• Spam and Malware Protection Email security filtering solution providing protection against spam, phishing, and malware threats in incoming email communications.
• Advanced Threat Protection AI-powered email security solution that detects and blocks sophisticated threats including zero-day attacks, ransomware, and targeted phishing campaigns through advanced analysis and real-time threat intelligence.
• Email Encryption Automated email encryption solution ensuring secure communication of sensitive information and regulatory compliance for protected data in transit.
• Email Archiving Audit-proof compliant email archiving solution providing secure storage, fast retrieval, and regulatory compliance for email communications.
• Email Continuity Service Business continuity solution ensuring uninterrupted email access during outages, allowing users to send and receive emails even when primary email services are unavailable.
• Email Signature and Disclaimer Centralized email signature and disclaimer management solution ensuring consistent branding and legal compliance across all outgoing email communications.
• DMARC Manager Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) analysis and management solution protecting against email spoofing and domain fraud.
• 365 Permission Manager Microsoft 365 permissions management and governance solution providing visibility into SharePoint permissions, addressing nested groups, anonymous sharing links, hidden libraries, and false permission levels to eliminate data exposure risks.
• 365 Multi Tenant Manager Multi-tenant management platform for MSPs to efficiently manage Microsoft 365 security and compliance settings across multiple customer tenants from a single dashboard.
• 365 Total Backup Automated Microsoft 365 data backup solution providing automatic backup, granular recovery with end-user self-service, and unlimited storage to protect against ransomware and data loss.
• VM Backup Backup and replication solution for Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware virtual machines and physical Windows servers, providing enterprise-level data loss prevention.
• Physical Server Backup Free server backup software for physical Windows servers, providing reliable data protection and disaster recovery capabilities.
• Hornet.email Secure email service providing additional protection and email management capabilities within the Microsoft 365 environment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Blocks 99%+ of malicious emails
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability9 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Pax8flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 13 May 2026Proofpoint launched dedicated MSP business unit and introduced 365 Total Protection for North America through strategic partnership with Pax8, targeting the world's largest MSP market. Pax8 serves as key distribution partner for MSP platform in North America.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Proofpoint: Proofpoint is now Hornetsecurity's parent and the broader human-centric cybersecurity incumbent; its enterprise email security, DLP, and compliance offerings overlap significantly with Hornetsecurity's M365 stack but historically at the enterprise tier.
• Sophos: Sophos (owned by Thoma Bravo) provides email security, M365 protection, and MDR through a broad MSP program, overlapping with Hornetsecurity while serving as part of a wider cybersecurity portfolio.
• Trend Micro: Trend Micro offers email security, Cloud App Security, and M365-native controls as part of a broader cybersecurity portfolio, providing overlapping capabilities to enterprise and SMB customers.
• Microsoft Defender for Office 365: Microsoft's native email security bundle within M365 E3/E5 SKUs is the principal incumbent alternative Hornetsecurity competes against and the key benchmark for third-party M365 security value.

Direct peers

• Mimecast: Mimecast is a direct competitor in cloud email security, archiving, and continuity for Microsoft 365, serving many of the same SMB and mid-market customers and MSPs that Hornetsecurity targets.
• Avanan: Avanan provides AI-driven email and collaboration security natively inside Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, directly overlapping with Hornetsecurity's email, Teams, and anti-phishing capabilities.
• Barracuda Networks: Barracuda offers closely overlapping email security, archiving, and M365 backup products sold through MSPs and resellers, making it one of the closest functional peers to Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Protection suite.
• OpenText (Zix/AppRiver): OpenText's Zix/AppRiver business delivers hosted email security, compliance, and backup for SMBs and MSPs, overlapping heavily with Hornetsecurity's M365-centric offering.

Emerging players

• Coro: Coro is an emerging unified cybersecurity platform targeted at SMBs and sold via MSPs, with overlapping email security, endpoint, and backup coverage that competes for the same channel partners.
• Acronis: Acronis combines M365 backup with cyber protection and is sold extensively through MSPs, intersecting with Hornetsecurity's backup and security awareness modules.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hornetsecurity
• Facebookfacebook.com/antispameurope
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/750470

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors6 records

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

M&A7 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Hornetsecurity