- ANOZR WAY brings in European VC fund Hi Inov as a new shareholder
- A multiple award-winner (cyber startup of the International Cybersecurity Forum 2023 prize, winner of the Grand Défi Cyber 1 & 2, etc.), ANOZR WAY protects the digital footprints of business leaders and their teams
- It is now aiming to boost its international expansion by recruiting 30 new staff by 2024.
Rennes (France), March 12, 2024 – ANOZR WAY, a leading pioneer in cyber protection for executives and companies, has announced a €6m fund-raising round. Following an initial €2m round in 2021, this capital increase has been backed by the European VC fund Hi Inov-Dentressangle, a specialist in B2B tech. It has also been subscribed by its historic investors (Breizh Up managed by UI Investissement and BNP Paribas Développement). The investment bank Clearwater International led the round. ANOZR WAY’s objective is to accelerate its international expansion, with 30 new hires planned by the end of 2024.
ANOZR WAY is growing very fast (+171% in 2023) and plans to expand further in 2024. Founded by Alban Ondrejeck, a former French intelligence officer, and Philippe Luc, a former insurance executive, the start-up helps to protect and control the digital footprint of top executives and their teams, the first targets of hackers and the main gateway for computer attacks on companies and organisations.
Indeed, human vulnerabilities are responsible for 8 out of 10 attacks. Executives are the first targets, through « social engineering » or scams based on trickery, facilitated by the gathering of personal data.
The ANOZR WAY solution is now used by more than 70 large companies.
International expansion, exponential growth, profitability, recruitment: ANOZR WAY’s roadmap for 2024-2025
Since it was created in 2019, the ANOZR WAY solution has been multi-awarded and supported by the French government:
- winner of the Grand Défi Cyber 1 & 2 France 2030 « automate cybersecurity » award,
- winner of the FIC 2023 (International Cybersecurity Forum) start-up prize, awarded by a jury made up of experts from the cybersecurity sector, ANSSI (French National Agency for Information Systems Security) representatives and government ministries.
ANOZR WAY expects to maintain strong growth over the next few years (+150% growth each year) and to be profitable by 2026. The next steps for the start-up:
- the acceleration of its international development in Canada and the United States;
- around thirty new hires by the end of the year to boost sales in France and abroad.
“As cyber-attacks become more sophisticated, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence, protecting executives and businesses from the risks of identity theft is crucial. Led by two co-founders with in-depth expertise and solid experience in the field of cybersecurity, ANOZR WAY has the tools required to respond effectively to this challenge and rapidly expand internationally. Their solution, which has been tested and adopted by a large number of customers, is highly effective thanks to its targeted collection of all the data available in open databases (Open, Deep, Dark web and Social Media). It makes a real difference in protecting managers and companies from intrusions with very significant economic and strategic damage », explains Valère Rames, Partner at Hi Inov-Dentressangle.
For BNP Paribas Développement, “The human footprint is a major grey area in establishing attack scenarios. The expertise and complementary nature of the ANOZR WAY teams in mastering this critical risk are the basis of the successes achieved in recent months. The stakes are high and global, and we are proud to continue our commitment to a talented team and new investors who are experts in this field.”
Jean-Philippe Zoghbi, Associate Director at UI Investissement, adds: “ANOZR WAY has enjoyed spectacular growth thanks to the expertise of its teams and the excellence of its solution, which closes the human security gap that is the main entry point for cyber-attacks. The renewed commitment of Breizh Up, managed by UI Investissement with the arrival of Hi Inov, also reinforces the desire to develop the world leadership of the cyber cluster in the Brittany region.”
“As a player recognised for its ability to provide long-term support for highly innovative technological solutions, Hi Inov was the best partner for this fund-raising, which comes after the recognition of our ecosystem. Our solution is ready, our business model has been validated and Hi Inov, alongside our historic investors, will enable us to structure our growth over the long term to expand internationally and rapidly protect thousands of top executives and their teams”, explains Philippe Luc, ANOZR WAY CEO.