Vade
French email security and anti-phishing engine, now absorbed into Proofpoint via Hornetsecurity.
On the record
Checkpoint: Hornetsecurity brand unification completes, ending the Vade name entirely
The call
Vade's technology survives inside Proofpoint's stack, but the Vade name and independent company are being retired as Microsoft's bundled security keeps shrinking the standalone market it was built for.
Vade made email security software that learned from billions of emails per day to catch spam and threats. It was hard to copy because of the massive amount of real-world data it collected, but that advantage now belongs to Proofpoint, which bought it in December 2025 for $1.8 billion, and Proofpoint itself is owned by a private investment company, not a public stock. Microsoft is making this whole business harder by putting free email protection directly into its Office 365 software that millions of companies already pay for, so customers have less reason to buy separate email security tools.
Why
01
AI pressure: Microsoft Defender for Office 365 with Agent 365 and Purview DSPM. Microsoft bundles good-enough AI filtering free into M365 E5, squeezing the standalone email security market Vade's tech serves. Could AI do the core job? Only partly.
02
Bigger players: Microsoft (M365 bundling). Every Agent 365 and Purview DSPM feature added to E5 licensing makes buying a separate email security layer less necessary. Could a giant copy it? Yes, easily.
03
What protects it. Its 100 billion emails a day threat dataset and 17 patents are real, but that data now belongs to Proofpoint, not to Vade as a company.
What would change this call
Vade brand fully disappears into Hornetsecurity/Proofpoint naming by end of 2026. Confirms Vade as standalone entity is gone, absorbed into Proofpoint portfolio.
Microsoft announces further Defender/Purview DSPM features bundled free into E5 in 2026-2027. Shows incumbent bundling continuing to compress standalone email-security TAM.
Proofpoint reports headcount or product-line cuts in former Hornetsecurity/Vade teams within 12 months. Indicates integration is consolidating or eliminating the acquired Vade technology and staff.
Microsoft announces further Defender/Purview DSPM features bundled free into E5 in 2026-2027. Shows incumbent bundling continuing to compress standalone email-security TAM.
Proofpoint reports headcount or product-line cuts in former Hornetsecurity/Vade teams within 12 months. Indicates integration is consolidating or eliminating the acquired Vade technology and staff.
Key numbers
- Proofpoint paid $1.8B for Hornetsecurity (incl. Vade), Dec 2025
- Headcount fell from 263 (2023) to 236 (2024/2026)
- Hornetsecurity ARR near $200M, growing 20% YoY
Named risks
- Vade brand actively being retired into Hornetsecurity name as of June 2026.
- Integration of Proofpoint Essentials and Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection could cause redundancy cuts.
- Microsoft and Google bundling native AI security compresses standalone email-security TAM.
- Headcount already contracted from 263 (2023) to 236 (2024/2026).
- Further PE-driven consolidation expected, with only 2-3 dominant platforms predicted by 2028.
Rivals, as read in July 2026
| Rival | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft (Defender for Office 365, Agent 365, Purview DSPM) | losing to | Bundles AI security into E5 licensing free; expanded stack announced Nov 18, 2025 |
| Abnormal Security | contesting | API-native AI competitor needing no MX/gateway change, competes at same detection layer |
| Mimecast | contesting | Listed as direct email-security peer among top Proofpoint/Mimecast alternatives, 2026 |
| Check Point (formerly Avanan) | contesting | Rebranded from Avanan to Check Point Email Security in March 2026 |
| Google Workspace native security | gaining on | Native low-end filtering compresses standalone email-security add-on demand |
Questions people ask
- Is Vade still an independent company in 2026?
- No. Vade was acquired by Hornetsecurity Group in March 2024, and Hornetsecurity was then acquired by Proofpoint for 1.8 billion dollars on December 8, 2025. As of June 2026, the Vade brand itself is being retired under a one-brand transition to Hornetsecurity.
- Who owns Vade now?
- Vade sits inside a three-layer ownership chain: Vade was bought by Hornetsecurity Group in March 2024, Hornetsecurity was bought by Proofpoint on December 8, 2025 for 1.8 billion dollars, and Proofpoint has been owned by private equity firm Thoma Bravo since 2021.
- Could Microsoft's built-in security features make Vade's product obsolete?
- Microsoft announced at Ignite on November 18, 2025 an expanded AI security stack including Agent 365, Entra Agent ID, and Purview DSPM bundled into M365/E5 licensing, directly compressing the market for standalone email-security add-ons like Vade's legacy filtering product.
- Is joining Vade a safe career move in 2026?
- Risky. Vade's standalone headcount already fell from about 263 employees in 2023 to about 236 by 2024/2026, and the brand is being actively phased out into Hornetsecurity as of June 22, 2026, with integration cuts typical after the December 2025 Proofpoint acquisition.
- What was Vade's revenue before it was acquired?
- Per third-party estimator Latka, Vade's estimated revenue was about 19.9 million dollars in 2023, rising to about 40.1 million dollars in 2024, though these figures are marked as estimates rather than audited company disclosures, as of December 18, 2024.
- Who is Vade's biggest competitor?
- Vade's most consequential competitor is Microsoft, whose Defender for Office 365 is bundled free into M365/E5 licensing; direct specialist rivals include Mimecast, Abnormal Security, IRONSCALES, and Check Point (formerly Avanan, rebranded March 2026).
Timeline
- 2026-06-22Hornetsecurity launches one-brand transition retiring the Vade name
- 2025-12-08Proofpoint completes 1.8B dollar acquisition of Hornetsecurity, including Vade
- 2025-11-18Microsoft announces Agent 365, Entra Agent ID, Purview DSPM at Ignite
- 2024-12-18Latka pegs Vade headcount at 236, down from 263 in 2023
- 2024-03-04Hornetsecurity Group acquires Vade, forming European cybersecurity leader
- 2022-01-01Vade headcount estimated around 233 to 285 employees
- 2019-06-12Vade raises 79 million dollar Series B led by General Catalyst
- 2017-01-01Vade raises about 12 million dollar seed round from Auriga Partners and Bpifrance
- 2009-01-01Vade founded in Hem, France
Revision history
21 July 2026
First assessed. Protection under test. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.
In the same band
Sources
- Learn About Our Company and Mission
- Vade Stock Price, Funding, Valuation...
- Vade joins Hornetsecurity Group... (2025-12-04)
- Proofpoint Completes Acquisition of Hornetsecurity (2025-12-05)
- Vade Security is now Hornetsecurity: One Team (2026-06-22)
- Vade Secure Revenue, Funding & Growth History (2024) (2024-12-18)
- Hornetsecurity and Vade Email Filtering, Stronger Together (2026-05-04)
- Vade joins Hornetsecurity Group (2024-03-04)
- Microsoft Security and Productivity Updates (2025-11-18)
- Buyer's Guide: Email Security & Anti-Phishing (2026-06-22)