Vista Equity Partners Completes Acquisition of KnowBe4
1.2.2023 17:17:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
KnowBe4, Inc. (“KnowBe4”), the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, today announced the completion of its acquisition by Vista Equity Partners (“Vista”), a leading global investment firm focused exclusively on enterprise software, data and technology-enabled businesses, for $24.90 per share in cash.
“Today’s acquisition is a significant milestone for the entire KnowBe4 team. It’s representative of our achievements to date, as well as our potential for continued long-term growth,” said Stu Sjouwerman, founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of KnowBe4. “Vista provides the resources and operational expertise to enhance customer value. We’re thrilled to embark on this next chapter and realize our goals for addressing cybersecurity’s weakest link.”
“The human element remains one of the most important yet neglected aspects of cybersecurity,” said Michael Fosnaugh, Co-Head of Vista’s Flagship Fund and Senior Managing Director. “The opportunity to scale a business that is truly mission-critical to enterprises around the world is core to Vista’s investment approach and value creation efforts. This, combined with Stu’s track record as a visionary founder and KnowBe4’s demonstrated product leadership, makes partnering with the Company very exciting.”
With the completion of the transaction, KnowBe4 shares have ceased trading and are no longer listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC served as financial advisor and Potter Anderson & Corroon served as legal counsel to KnowBe4’s Special Committee. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation served as legal advisor to KnowBe4.
Guggenheim Securities, LLC served as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel for Vista.
About KnowBe4
KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, is used by more than 56,000 organizations around the globe. Founded by IT and data security specialist Stu Sjouwerman, KnowBe4 helps organizations address the human element of security by raising awareness about ransomware, CEO fraud and other social engineering tactics through a new-school approach to awareness training on security. Kevin Mitnick, an internationally recognized cybersecurity specialist and KnowBe4’s Chief Hacking Officer, helped design the KnowBe4 training based on his well-documented social engineering tactics. Tens of thousands of organizations rely on KnowBe4 to mobilize their end users as their last line of defense.
About Vista Equity Partners
Vista is a leading global investment firm with more than $95 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2022. The firm exclusively invests in enterprise software, data and technology-enabled organizations across private equity, permanent capital, credit and public equity strategies, bringing an approach that prioritizes creating enduring market value for the benefit of its global ecosystem of investors, companies, customers and employees. Vista's investments are anchored by a sizable long-term capital base, experience in structuring technology-oriented transactions and proven, flexible management techniques that drive sustainable growth. Vista believes the transformative power of technology is the key to an even better future – a healthier planet, a smarter economy, a diverse and inclusive community and a broader path to prosperity. Further information is available at vistaequitypartners.com. Follow Vista on LinkedIn, @Vista Equity Partners, and on Twitter, @Vista_Equity.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230201005656/en/
Contact information
For media inquiries, contact:
Brian W. Steel
media@vistaequitypartners.com
+1-212-804-9170
Kathy Wattman
Public Relations
PR@KnowBe4.com
(727) 474-9950
For investor inquiries, contact:
Ken Talanian
Investor Relations
IR@Knowbe4.com
(727) 286-3584
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
GenNx360 Capital Partners Closes Fourth Flagship Fund at $865 Million27.8.2026 15:30:00 EEST | Press release
GenNx360 Capital Partners (“GenNx360” or “the Firm”), a New York City-based private equity firm investing in U.S. lower middle market industrial services and business services companies, today announced the successful closing of GenNx360 Capital Partners IV, L.P. (“Fund IV” or “the Fund”), with $865 million in commitments, exceeding its target. Fund IV is the largest fund raised in GenNx360’s history. Fund IV was supported by a diverse group of existing and new investors including leading pensions, asset managers, insurance companies, foundations, and family offices, reflecting conviction in the firm’s disciplined investment approach, operational value creation model, and tenured, diverse team. Fund IV will continue GenNx360’s differentiated strategy of partnering with lower middle market founders and management teams to scale essential services businesses. Fund IV has made five investments to date across infrastructure services, testing and inspection services, aerospace and defense,
Alipay Ant Forest Turns 700 Million Users’ Daily Green Actions into 700 Million Trees Over a Decade of Technology-enabled Environmental Program27.8.2026 15:02:00 EEST | Press release
Alipay Ant Forest, Ant Group’s green initiative that encourages people to participate in environmental protection through simple, everyday low-carbon actions, today announced that more than 700 million users across China have joined the program as of August 2026. Together, they have helped support the planting of over 700 million trees, contributing to ecological restoration efforts in some of China’s most arid and environmentally fragile regions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260827995848/en/ Before (2019) and after (2026) comparison of Ant Forest Project No. 464 in Inner Mongolia. Launched in 2016 within the Alipay app, Ant Forest transforms individual environmental choices into collective climate action. When users make greener lifestyle choices, such as taking public transportation, cycling, paying bills online to avoid paper invoices, or choosing digital services, they earn virtual “green energy points”
Omilia Appoints Michael Weiss as Vice President, DACH27.8.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
Omilia, a global leader in Self-Learning Agentic CX, today announced the appointment of Michael Weiss as Vice President, DACH. Weiss will lead Omilia's go-to-market strategy across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, as the company expands its European footprint, with a focus on regulated sectors where enterprise demand for AI that moves past pilot-stage containment is accelerating. In his new role, Weiss will be responsible for enterprise sales, partner development, and go-to-market execution across DACH, building the team and customer relationships needed to scale Omilia's presence in a market where large, heavily regulated enterprises have historically been slow to move off legacy IVR and first-generation AI. Weiss brings more than two decades of enterprise sales leadership in SaaS, cloud, and customer experience (CX) technology. Most recently, he provided fractional Chief Revenue Officer services through his own advisory practice where he advised CX and cloud communications provider
Visa Expands Support for its Clients and the Industry as Organizations Navigate New AI Era of Cybersecurity27.8.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
Visa (NYSE: V) today announced enhancements to its cybersecurity portfolio to help organizations identify and fix vulnerabilities more effectively. Unveiling the next evolution of the Visa Vulnerability Agentic Harness (VVAH), its open-source, model-agnostic framework, Visa is helping organizations significantly reduce the Mean Time to Adapt (MTTA), the time between discovery and resolution of attack paths, with some resolutions shrinking from weeks to hours. And to help clients navigate this evolving threat landscape, Visa also announced the expansion of its Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA) Cybersecurity Advisory Practice with new advisory services designed to help clients assess risk, prioritize remediation efforts and strengthen resilience in an evolving threat environment. "AI is compressing the time between vulnerability discovery and exploitation, which means defenders need a faster, more reliable path to action," said Rajat Taneja, President, Technology, Visa. "By advancing VVA
Perma-Pipe Announces Closing of Global Credit Facility of Up to $139 Million27.8.2026 14:47:00 EEST | Press release
Perma-Pipe International Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPIH) (“Perma-Pipe” or the “Company”), a leading global provider of engineered piping and leak detection solutions for energy, infrastructure and industrial markets, today announced the closing of a new global credit facility with J.P. Morgan consists of a $75.0 million revolving credit facility and a $14.0 million term loan facility, and allows the Company access to an additional $50.0 million in incremental capacity. The new facility replaces and consolidates multiple existing credit facilities maintained by the Company and its subsidiaries across various jurisdictions, creating a more streamlined and centralized financing structure for Perma-Pipe’s global operations. It also provides Perma-Pipe with significantly increased financial capacity, enhanced liquidity and greater flexibility to support working capital requirements, letters of credit, strategic investments and the Company’s continued expansion in key markets. Saleh Sagr, Pres
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom