Censys Secures $35M Funding and Appoints New CEO

Censys Secures $35 Million in Series B Funding and Appoints New CEO

Censys, a specialized search engine focused on Internet of Things (IoT) devices and broader internet assets, has successfully raised $35 million in Series B funding.

Alongside this financial boost, the company has also announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer to guide its future direction.

Addressing Internet-Exposed Vulnerabilities

Founded seven years ago as an open-source research initiative at the University of Michigan, Censys is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan’s prominent technology center.

The company’s core mission is to offer a comprehensive “complete database” of all devices connected to the internet.

This capability is designed to assist organizations in identifying and securing potentially vulnerable assets.

Attack Surface Management Platform

Censys’ attack surface management platform continuously scans and discovers an organization’s internet-facing assets.

It actively monitors these assets for security weaknesses, preventing potential oversights from escalating into exploitable vulnerabilities.

The platform integrates seamlessly with existing security infrastructure to enhance overall protection.

Funding Details and Expansion Plans

This Series B investment follows a $15.5 million Series A funding round secured in August 2020.

Intel Capital spearheaded the latest funding effort.

Censys intends to utilize these funds to accelerate its research and development (R&D) efforts, bolster its engineering teams, and expand its product and sales operations.

A key focus of this expansion will be in Western Europe.

New Leadership at the Helm

Brad Brooks, formerly the CEO of OneLogin, has been appointed as the new CEO of Censys.

Brooks brings over 25 years of experience in the technology sector, having previously held leadership positions at companies like DocuSign, Juniper Networks, and Microsoft.

He succeeds Lorne Groe, who will return to his previous roles as CFO and COO.

Future Growth and Market Dynamics

Brooks stated that his primary objective is to steer the company through its next phase of growth, which is anticipated to include another funding round within the coming nine to twelve months.

“With this round, we transition from the startup phase to a growth-oriented stage,” he explained.

Censys is currently experiencing substantial growth, reporting triple-digit revenue increases year-over-year.

The company’s client base includes prominent organizations such as FireEye, Google, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Responding to the Evolving Threat Landscape

Brooks highlighted the challenges associated with rapid growth, emphasizing the need to manage expansion effectively.

He attributes this growth to the increasing prevalence of remote and hybrid work models, coupled with the accelerated adoption of cloud services.

“Cloud environments are becoming increasingly complex, and each new user or service introduces potential misconfiguration risks,” he noted.

“Continuous monitoring of the environment is becoming essential, and that’s the primary driver of our current growth.”