IBM to Buy Database Security Co Guardium for $225 Million

guardium_logoIBM is about to acquire Guardium for $225 Million, according to Haaretz. Guardium provides software solutions for database activity monitoring, security, and auditing. This is the largest high-tech Israeli exit in 2009 and a great achievement for Guardium’s investors, who will be getting 10x returns on their investments. Guaridum has raised $21 million since its inception in 2002 (then called Defendo). Main shareholders include: Ascent Venture Partners (Geoffrey Oblak), Cedar Fund, Cisco Systems, Kreos Capital, Log-On Software Limited, StageOne Ventures, Veritas Venture Partners (Gill Zaphrir) as well as the company’s founders Amnon Keinan and Lior Tal (who has left the company).

Guardium’s products are currently deployed in 350 data centers worldwide, including more than 60 Global 500 and Fortune 1000 companies in government, financial services, energy, manufacturing, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, transportation, biotech, and media and entertainment sectors.

The company’s flagship products include:

Guardium is privately held and headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. It also holds R&D centers in Ramat-Gan. The company is currently led by CEO Ram Metser. Guardium’s software suite competes with Israel’s Imperva (founded by Shlomo Kramer of Checkpoint’s fame) and Sentrigo, a database security start up backed by Benchmark Israel. Both companies could by potential targets for acquisition in the near term.

This is IBM’s ninth Israeli M&A deal. It also comes in good timing for the Israeli venture capital industry, which has struggled with exits.

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November 28, 2009 | View Comments
Filed Under Ascent Venture Partners, Cisco, Guardium, Imperva, Sentrigo, Shlomo Kramer, StageOne Ventures, Venture Capital Funds, Veritas Venture Partners, cedar fund, ibm, kreos capital

 

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  • http://twitter.com/ediggs ediggs

    Posted on VC Cafe: IBM to Buy Database Security Co Guardium for $225 Million: http://tinyurl.com/yl6rzxj

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  • http://twitter.com/ediggs ediggs

    New on VC Cafe: IBM to Buy Database Security Co Guardium for $225 Million http://bit.ly/53G8Sy

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  • Correction

    This is not the largest Israeli VC exit of the year. Medtronic bought Ventor (heart valves) for $325 million in Feb-09. Backed by Pitango, Medica VC, others.

  • vccafe

    Thanks, I'm aware of the Ventor exit and that's why I said that it's the largest 'HIGH TECH' exit of the year in Israel.

    “This is the largest high-tech Israeli exit in 2009″

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