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Whalebone, the leading cybersecurity provider for the telecommunications sector and Consortium Leader for the European Union’s DNS4EU project, announces that it has raised €13.35M ($14M) in funding, led by London-based Unbound, along with participation from the majority of its existing investors, including Day One Capital and other early angel investors.
The Series-B funding will enable the execution of multiple strategic initiatives, including geographical expansion, enhanced customer success, product roadmap acceleration, growth of enterprise and public sectors, and boosting threat intelligence capabilities.
CEO’s Vision: Scaling to 1 Billion Protected People
“We have always been strategic in our growth, and this funding will help us scale our business while staying committed to our mission of protecting 1 billion people,” said Richard Malovic, CEO of Whalebone. “While we resisted external funding for a couple of years, we were ultimately convinced that this investment from a strategic growth partner like Unbound would allow us to reach our ambitious goals faster and more effectively.”
The investment comes mere days after Whalebone announced its significant expansion into the APAC region due to new telco partnerships – with Smart Axiata in Cambodia, Tele2 Kazakhstan, Vietnamobile, and Dhiraagu in the Maldives at the helm. The company’s sales pipeline is at record levels and Whalebone sees huge momentum in the market.
Investor Perspective: Why Whalebone Stands Out
Whalebone has demonstrated remarkable efficiency, while being repeatedly ranked as one of the fastest growing companies in Europe by Deloitte and Financial Times. This efficiency, combined with its strong market presence and innovation in the DNS cybersecurity space, has impressed investors.
Shravin Bharti Mittal, Founder and CEO of Unbound, said, "Our deep firsthand understanding of telecoms gives us a clear view of the challenges in building a telco-first cybersecurity solution, and we are impressed by how Whalebone has created a proposition that benefits both operators and their subscribers. We are thrilled to lead this investment and look forward to leveraging our experience and networks to fuel Whalebone’s next stage of growth."
“As the rise of mobile-first banking and payments makes individuals more susceptible to cyberattacks, there is a need for a new kind of cybersecurity solution to protect them. We believe Embedded Cybersecurity will power this next wave of digital protection for individuals and SMBs, and Whalebone is clearly leading the way. We really liked Whalebone’s bold ambition of protecting 1 billion users, and thoughtful approach to scaling the company,” said Vikram Dhingra, Managing Director at Unbound. “Whalebone’s unique ability to expand its security solutions across telcos, enterprises and public institutions worldwide - not just in Europe but also in LATAM, APAC and MEA – makes it a standout company for us,” he added.
György Simó, Managing Partner at Day One Capital, said: “We are extremely pleased with how Whalebone has executed its early-stage vision and continues to remain bold. Having worked with the company’s founders for five years, I can confidently say that Whalebone is on track to become one of the region’s superstars.”
Whalebone’s Market Leadership
With the highest number of telecom mass-market cybersecurity deployments, Whalebone continues to position itself as a globally recognized market leader, setting the stage for continued innovation and global impact.
With 350+ communications service providers (CSPs) on board, endorsement from the European Commission to lead the DNS4EU project, and partnerships with CERTs, CSIRTs, universities, enterprises, governments, and public institutions across the globe, Whalebone has established itself as a trusted cybersecurity partner.
The company leads the European Union’s DNS4EU initiative, reinforcing its commitment to building a more secure, resilient, and autonomous internet infrastructure across the region. In January, Whalebone announced that it is on track for the DNS4E U Public Resolver rollout this year. By driving innovation and setting industry standards for securing critical infrastructure, Whalebone is helping to shape the future of digital security on a global scale.
“We are not taking the easy route –⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ we are choosing a bold challenge that drives and inspires us," said Richard Malovic. "This investment gives us the momentum to move faster while staying true to our focus on innovation and making a global impact."
For more information about Whalebone and its latest developments, visit https://www.whalebone.io
For more information about Unbound, visit https://un-bound.com
Whalebone
Whalebone develops user-centric cybersecurity products for telcos, ISPs, enterprises, government and public institutions. It provides millions of internet users with seamless digital life protection, keeping them safe from malware, phishing schemes, ransomware, and other malicious digital attacks – without the need to download anything. The company has repeatedly enabled Tier 1 telcos to effectively protect their customers while significantly raising their revenue. Deloitte ranked Whalebone in its Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe 2024 report, and the Financial Times’ Sifted Leaderboard 2024 of the fastest-growing companies in Central Europe listed Whalebone at number 20. Whalebone’s mission is to bring cybersecurity to 1 billion people by providing no-installation security products to a diverse range of partners.
Unbound
Unbound is a leading long-term global investment firm based in London, with a mission to build and back the next generation of 100-year companies. The firm seeks to invest globally in disruptive technology companies operating in the growth stage (Series B onwards) across both developed and emerging markets.