Two cybersecurity startups in Ann Arbor and Detroit today announced new funding rounds.
Ann Arbor startup Censys raised $35 million in Series B funding, and Detroit startup AaDya Security raised $3.1 million.
Thanks to the $2.3 billion exit of Duo Security, university research and the strong network of cybersecurity experts, the Ann Arbor/Detroit area is rapidly becoming a top tech hub for cybersecurity.
Censys raises $35 million and names new CEO
What started as an open source research project at the University of Michigan has now turned into one of the fastest-growing startups in Michigan.
Censys is an internet security startup, building a search engine for IoT devices and internet assets. Its database of all devices connected to the internet helps organizations identify assets that are vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks. The platform discovers businesses' internet assets, monitors them, detects security issues and prevents oversight. The company has already grown in revenue and with some big-name customers like Google and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Now, this $35 million Series B funding round, which was led by Intel Capital, will be used to accelerate the company’s R&D, engineering, product and sales operations, particularly in Western Europe, according to TechCrunch.
With the new funding also came the announcement of a new CEO. Brad Brooks, former CEO of OneLogin, will take the helm, and interim CEO Lorne Groe will return to his role as CFO and COO. Brad, a tech industry veteran with major companies like Microsoft, Juniper Networks and DocuSign on his resume, will lead the Censys team into this next phase of growth.
“With this round, we go from startup stage to growth stage,” he told TechCrunch.
AaDya Security lands $3.1M to accelerate cybersecurity for SMBs
AaDya Security is a Detroit startup founded by cybersecurity veteran (and Duo Security alumni) Raffaele Mautone. With a mission to make cybersecurity more accessible, AaDya Security provides smart and affordable security solutions to small and midsize businesses.
This $3.1 million venture funding round was led by Companyon Ventures in Boston with participation from new investors including Gutbrain Ventures, PBJ Capital, and Gaingels. Existing investors Firebrand Ventures, NextCoast Ventures, and Invest Detroit also participated.
“We are thrilled to be working with the team at Companyon on the go-to-market strategy for Judy 3.0,” AaDya CEO, Raffaele Mautone, said in a press release. “They truly understand and support our vision to deliver a premium security offering designed to meet the needs of a segment that has often been overlooked and underserved. Their expertise and knowledge has already proven to be an invaluable resource to our entire team and we look forward to what’s next for AaDya Security.”
Their all-in-one cybersecurity platform, Judy, leverages AI and machine learning to deliver next-generation protection and support, 24/7. The Judy platform is user-friendly and has a secure, single sign and password manager to protect credentials and allow for safe and easy access. On the backend, Judy provides endpoint detection and response, DNS filtering, and threat detection and automated remediation to protect businesses from growing threats such as phishing and ransomware attacks.
"AaDya’s AI-powered all-in-one platform is a game-changer for managed service providers (MSPs) who want to offer the most robust cyber protection for their SMB clients without the headaches and costs of deploying and managing multiple point solutions from an array of vendors.” said Tom Lazay, Co-Founder and General Partner at Companyon Ventures. “We’re thrilled to lead this round and support AaDya’s expansion into the market through their select MSP partners."
Not only are Censys and AaDya building great cybersecurity products. They are also building great places to work and were recently named to the 100 Best Places to Work in Midwest Tech 2022.
