Wednesday, September 7, 2022

VC investments in cybersecurity cools off in Q2 of 2022

The cybersecurity startup market has cooled in recent months amid a broader tech slowdown:

    • PitchBook stated that infosec market funding was $3.2b in Q2 2022, down 45% from Q1. Exits fell to 13 in Q2 2022 -- their lowest level since 2018.
    • Separately, DataTribe reported that median valuations for cyber startups fell to $12m in Q2, down 33% from $18m in Q1.

From a broader perspective:

  • The cyber market's long-term prospects remain strong -- the global cybersecurity market is projected to grow at a 13.4% CAGR through 2029.
  • The industry is now inundated with vendors -- most venture-backed, many cash-flow negative. Scores of these new vendors will have layoffs/merge/fail. Some tips to manage this turmoil for enterprise customers:
    • Create a 2x2 with “Criticality to our Ops” vs. “Financial Viability” as the axes -- plot your vendors.
    • Focus on high-risk vendors & ask leadership (not the sales reps): “What’s your monthly cash burn?” and “How much money is in your account?”
    • Start scenario-planning on what you would do if “Vendor X” cuts staff, gets bought or shutters.


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