According to data from the Atlas VPN team, there have been 78 new cyber security companies founded in 2020, the majority 35% originating from the US. Cumulatively these companies have managed to raise over $31.6 million in funding year-to-date, with one single company, called Beyond, alone raising $21 million.

According to Atlas VPN, only 15% of cyber security start-ups launched in 2020 secured funding. However, three companies alone collected nearly 96% ($30.3 million) of the total amount of investments.

A cyber security company with the second biggest investment is Sevco Security, which raised over $6.7 million in May of 2020. Also, in the list of top three cyber security start-ups in terms of funding is Soc.OS. It received more than $2.5 million in investments in July this year.

The number of new cyber security start-ups is shrinking each year, whilst the amount of cyber incidents is increasing and cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated.

Atlas VPN found historical data showing that in 2015 there were 490 cyber security companies launched. Together the start-ups that year raised over $3.1 billion in investments.

The year 2016 saw a slightly smaller number of new cyber security companies. The launch of new start-ups in the cyber security field decreased by 0.8%, with 486 start-ups launched that year. The total amount of funding allocated to those start-ups, however, dropped in half, from $3.1 billion to $1.6 billion.

In 2017 the number of new cyber security start-ups plummeted again by 0.8%. There were 482 cybersecurity companies founded that year, which raised more than $1.3 billion in total — 17% less than in 2016.

The number of new cyber security start-ups dropped by more than a fifth in 2018 compared to the year before. A total of 382 cybersecurity companies were launched that year, which collected over $847 million in investments. The amount of funds invested in the cyber security start-ups also dropped by 35% compared to 2017.

Last year saw a 46% decrease in the launch of new cyber security start-ups. There were 207 of these types of companies founded and together they raised close to $229.5 million in investments — 73% less than the year before.

Finally, this year’s cyber security market has welcomed 78 newcomers — the number has shrunk by 62% compared to last year. However, 2020 is not over yet; hence we can expect the numbers of cyber security companies to still increase slightly.

ADT has issued and sold in a private placement to Google 54,744,525 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the company, for an aggregate purchase price of $450 million. The shares of Class B common stock issued to Google represent approximately 6.6% of the issued and outstanding common stock of ADT on an as-converted basis. The Company expects to use the net proceeds for further growth initiatives and to reduce debt over time.

The original announcement made at the beginning of August set out the main details of the investment, which will see a close working partnership between Google and ADT, giving Google access to ADTs 6.5 million customer base and its skilled technicians, through which the two will offer Google’s Nest series of products. As a result, Google’s Nest hardware combined with ADT’s professional installation and monitoring service will create a fully integrated set of devices, software and services for the secure smart homes market.

According to Reuters, the investment gives ADT the backing of a high-profile technology partner and broadens its services business and in return, Google strengthens its presence as it competes with Amazon.com’s AMZN.O Ring and Boston-based Simplisafe, among others.

Blake Kozak Principal Analyst, Smart Home and Security Technology, Omdia, recently published an analysis on the potential short and long term implications of this move and he believes that this equity investment from Google could be the differentiator the industry was looking for to bring a tech company together with an alarm brand. He suggests that this new partnership could be the initial step that disrupts the smart home and alarm monitoring markets.

ADT expects to offer certain Google devices to its customers beginning this year and to expand the integration in 2021. The complete ADT + Google helpful home security solution will utilise a secure platform for a seamless experience that prioritises privacy and interoperability for greater customer peace of mind and choice.

Each company will also commit an additional $150 million, subject to the achievement of certain milestones, to be used for co-marketing, product development, technology and employee training to advance the partnership. These investments are expected to accelerate ADT’s capital efficient growth and drive broader consumer awareness and deeper product innovation for both companies in the fragmented yet rapidly expanding smart home market

Securitas is acquiring Stanley Security’s electronic security businesses in Germany, Portugal, Switzerland, Singapore and India. The acquisition is aligned with Securitas’ ambition to double the size of its security solutions & electronic security business and expands Securitas’ electronic security footprint and capabilities. The purchase price is estimated to 54 MEUR.

The entities to be acquired provide an integrated electronic security offering to their clients – from design to installation and from maintenance to alarm monitoring – based on a complete portfolio of advanced security solutions such as access control, intrusion, video, fire and integrated systems. The business has approximately 580 highly skilled employees operating in five countries through 20 branch offices out of which 11 are located in Germany.

The business also has two alarm monitoring centres, one in Germany and one in Portugal. Total sales of the in-scope business amounted to MUSD 85 (MSEK 748) in 2019, mainly driven from installation sales, recurring monthly revenue and maintenance services.

“We are very excited to welcome the electronic security specialists from Stanley Security to Securitas. Through this acquisition, we add significant electronic security expertise and deepen our capabilities in Germany, Switzerland and Portugal, while also establishing our first electronic security presence in Singapore and India. This is an important step forward to deliver high-quality electronic security services to our clients in key markets,” says Magnus Ahlqvist, Securitas President and CEO.

Hikvision, an IoT solution provider with video as its core competency, has announced the integration of its HikCentral video security platform with the Nedap AEOS Access Control Solution to provide single-platform operations for users who maintain both Hikvision and Nedap systems.

The integration, via Nedap AEOS Connector, provides event information, alarms, and person-data synchronization of access control and intrusion events between AEOS-connected hardware and HikCentral. This integration enables operators to manage doors, detectors and intrusion areas, as well as visually verify and handle alarms in HikCentral Clients.

“With the integration, security personnel are able to greatly enhance their situational awareness and control in large installations,” said Jens Berthelsen, Global Partner Alliance Manager of Hikvision. “The integration leverages the Hikvision Optimus framework to ensure a long lifespan for the installation. It also makes future upgrades of both systems seamless and simple – without compromising the continuous operation.”

“I feel very proud having Hikvision onboard our Technology Partner Program. Hikvision skipped half-measures and created a very complete integration for both Access Control and the Intrusion part,” said Wesley Keegstra, Integration Manager at Nedap. “Linking events and alarms to HikCentral creates a single-platform solution to visualize the status of a security system with the corresponding video recordings. Besides visualizing a system, users can also control it. Whether they open a door or lock one, or remotely arm or disarm an intrusion area.”

The Nedap AEOS Connector is developed under Hikvision’s latest Optimus framework, which enables systems integrators to easily tailor integrations to individual customers’ needs, building suitable workflows and event-to-action protocols. This is based on a very intuitive and easy-to-use graphical user interface that does not require coding.

The Optimus and Nedap AEOS Connector are available for HikCentral version 1.6 and AEOS version 2019.1.5 and are ready for deployment now.

Dahua Technology – one of the word’s biggest video technology companies – has entered into a six-figure sponsorship deal with Celtic FC, supplying the club with state of the art video-based technology and equipment.

Under the sponsorship deal, Dahua is supplying video walls for locations such as the Celtic Store and Media Centre at Celtic Park, high-tech quad-rotor drones to help with player training and development, and electronic whiteboards to be used for staff training, as well as meetings and presentations for staff and visitors.

As part of the new partnership, Dahua will be appearing across a range of Club assets, on LED pitch-side banners, and on the club’s website and match programmes. The deal represents the first ever major sponsorship by Dahua Technology in the UK and Ireland.

“We are thrilled about our sponsorship of Celtic FC,” said Michael Lawrence, Marketing Director at Dahua Technology UK & Ireland. “As well as the highly visible aspects of the sponsorship, this deal represents a real partnership between Celtic FC and Dahua, and is an example of our engagement with communities across the UK and Ireland.”

Commenting on the deal, Cheng Zeng, Business Development Manager for China and Asia at Celtic FC said: “We are delighted to launch this partnership today with Dahua Technology. Their expertise and high quality technology will enhance both fan experience in our stores and business operations as a whole. We hope to work with Dahua long into the future.”

As well as the equipment supplied to Celtic FC, Dahua Technology manufactures a range of innovative and technically advanced video equipment. These include TiOC, a three-in-one camera that integrates 24/7 full-colour monitoring, active deterrence and Artificial Intelligence into one smart unit; WizSense, a series of products and solutions that utilise Artificial Intelligence and deep learning algorithms; and its Starlight range of low-light video technology.

Dahua Technology is a global manufacturer of end to end system solutions encompassing cameras, control equipment, recording, video walls and accessories. It is one of the world’s biggest video technology companies, creating advanced solutions for transportation, education, safe city, retail and commercial markets worldwide.

Motorola Solutions, Inc. has acquired Callyo, a cloud-based mobile applications provider for law enforcement. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Callyo is a software as a service company (SaaS) serving thousands of public safety customers across North America. Its portfolio includes two application suites – 10-21, which simplifies communication between first responders and citizens, and Callyo, which provides investigative tools that improve digital evidence collection.

This acquisition adds to Motorola Solutions’ existing command centre software suite critical mobile technology capabilities that enable information to flow seamlessly from the field to the command centre.

“First responders are increasingly looking to mobile applications to boost productivity and enhance community relations,” said Andrew Sinclair, senior vice president and general manager, Software Enterprise, Motorola Solutions. “With Callyo’s technology, agencies can improve collaboration and enhance the evidence collection process to build stronger cases more efficiently, ultimately enabling them to better serve and keep communities safe.”

“With Motorola Solutions, we have the opportunity to accelerate our product innovation, reach and commitment to service,” said Chris Bennett, founder and chief product officer, Callyo. “We’re excited to work together to deliver the next generation of mobile application capabilities that simplify and enhance communication between first responders and the communities they serve.”

According to the latest research report on the digital signature sector from Marketsandmarkets, this market is predicted to grow from USD 2.8 billion in 2020 to USD 14.1 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 31.0% during the forecast period. Government initiatives and transition towards digitalisation are suggested as the drivers for this impressive overall market growth.

Digital signature solution providers offer software to help organisations easily create digital signatures that comply with industry standards and offer support for working with accredited certified authorities. The software providers in the market are focusing on delivering encryption software, PKI solutions, email encryption solutions, and APIs to help end users securely sign documents. Software solutions, as compared to hardware solutions, are growing at a faster rate and contributing maximum in terms of market size in the digital signature market.

The Banking and Financial Services vertical is witnessing digital transformation at every level with rapidly changing customer demands and represents the highest CAGR according to the researchers. The use of online services, such as internet banking, mobile banking, and stock trading has soared. The BFSI vertical is focusing on understanding digital consumer behaviour, preferences, and choices through customer-centric business applications. Digital signatures help BFSI firms in simplifying complex business processes by offering enhanced security and improved turnaround time for on boarding customers.

In terms of geography it is North America that shows the highest take-up in this sector, according to the analysts this is down to the presence of several prominent market players delivering digital signature solutions to all end users in the region. The US and Canada both have strong economic conditions and are expected to be major contributors to the growth of the digital signature market. The geographical presence, significant Research and Development (R&D) activities, partnerships, and acquisitions and mergers are the major factors for the deployment of digital signature and services.

Key and innovative vendors in the digital signature marketplace and named in the report by Marketsandmarkets, include Adobe, Onespan, Thales, Docusign, Idemia, Ascertia, Zoho, Globalsign, Entrust Datacard, Digicert, and Identrust.

G4S is currently urging its shareholders to dismiss and ignore offer attempts from privately owned Canadian security company, Gardaworld. The latest offer of 190 pence per share, was estimated to be valued by Reuters at 2.95 billion pounds and was unanimously rejected by the board of G4S as significantly undervaluing the company.

Established in 1995, and based in Montreal Canada, Gardaworld is the largest privately owned security services company in the world. The company offers security solutions and professionals to protect people, assets and reputation globally. Gardaworld employs around 102,000 trained and dedicated professionals serving clients in North America, Africa and the Middle East, including Fortune 500 companies and governments and it has also served in the UK for around 15 years.

According to reports Gardaworld has made various attempts to engage with G4S over the last three months, but without success, and now is urging G4S shareholders to take note of this latest offer of 190 pence per share.

Reuters reports that G4S recently revealed it had already declined two previous offers in June for 145 pence per share and 153 pence per share each.

The Board at G4S believes that the timing of the proposals is highly opportunistic, coming as it does at a time of severe turbulence in global financial markets.

Earlier this year, G4S sold the majority of its conventional cash businesses for 727 million pounds to The Brinks Company, and the board believes this move greatly enhances the group’s strategic, commercial and operational focus and strengthens further its financial position. It says that the company is increasingly well placed to deliver growth, profitability and substantial free cash flow and that the group’s resilient performance in the first half of 2020 provides confidence in the strategy and its execution.

Stephan Crétier, Founder, Chairman, President and CEO of Gardaworld, acknowledges that G4S is an important UK employer and a significant provider to both the public and private sectors, but said that he believes G4S “needs an owner not a manager.”

The latest report from Marketsandmarkets on the access control market includes the suggested impact of COVID-19 on the sector, including global forecasts to 2025 projecting a growth from USD 8.6 billion in 2020 to USD 12.8 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 8.2%. Increasing deployment of wireless security systems and rising adoption of IoT-based security systems with cloud computing platforms are the key factor that is driving the growth of the access control market according to the researchers.

Biometric readers are expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period. Biometric technologies are used to measure different physiological parameters for identification and authentication purposes in access control systems. The market for biometric reader-based access control systems has been further categorised into fingerprint recognition, palm recognition, iris recognition, face recognition, and voice recognition. Biometrics is one of the fastest-growing technologies used to secure perimeters. This technology enables identifying a person’s physical characteristics to provide controlled physical access to infrastructure. This technology is being increasingly used in government facilities, manufacturing units, power stations, defence establishments, and enterprises.

The analysts find that the commercial vertical is the largest end user of access control systems, including facilities such as enterprises and data centres; BFSI; retail stores and malls; and entertainment areas. Manned security for all physical locations is difficult and expensive. The demand for access control systems is increasing since they reduce the need for manned security to a greater extent, thereby reducing security expenditure. These factors are encouraging commercial facilities to adopt access control systems to protect people and properties.

Geographically North America is the largest market, as it is considered by the researchers to be more advanced than in other regions in terms of the implementation of access control systems. Companies in the US, Canada, and Mexico are making efforts to enhance their expertise and develop innovative access control systems and services. This provides them with greater competitive advantage to increase their share in the region’s access control market. The growing number of cyber and malware attacks in the region has compelled several governments and security agencies to enhance security features in their transactions through the deployment of RFID and biometric technologies, which is further contributing to the overall growth of the access control market.

Major companies involved in the development and supply of access control and mentioned in this latest report include, Dormakaba, Ass Abloy, Johnson Controls, Allegion, Honeywell, Identiv, Suprema, Thales, Bosch, NEC and Idemia.