Doubling of employees from 36 in 2021 to 75 in 2022, leap in turnover to 12.5 million euros and an EBITDA to almost 3 million. And by the end of 2023 aims at consolidated revenues of over 16 million. Nethive is growing at a record pace, a real “boutique” for IT security which managed to make its way with its own solutions: 10 million devices in Italy are enabled by Nethive platforms and 60% of telcos have already knocked on the door of the Limena company, in the province of Padua. And in the customer list un ever-growing number of companies and public administration bodies.
The Story of Nethive
Founded in 2014 by Alessandro Bellato and Diego Rocco, Nethive specializes in cybersecurity and system integration – also thanks to the development of proprietary software – and counts on a Ns-Soc (Network security operation center) it’s a Cy-Soc (Cyber security operation Center) and on awide range of partnersdai vendors Fortinet to Cisco, from Qualys to SentinelOne and Huawei. Qfour locations: the headquarters in Limena and then Padua, Milan and Madrid.
The entrance to the Alcedo IV fund of Alcedo Sgr which took over 53% of Nethive with a mixed operation of capital increase and share purchase, was a huge boost to be able to invest more in research and development (about 10% of turnover). “Cybercrime is constantly changing and evolving and you always need to be innovative,” explains Bellato, Co-founder and Owner of Nethiveto CorCom.
Bellato, at the beginning of the year you crossed national borders. Is it the launch of an internationalization campaign?
In December 2022 we acquired 70% of the Italian company Xech Srl, based in Milan and of the Spanish company (Xech Iberia) based in Madrid, focused on the management of advanced monitoring platforms, authentication process management and log management for Telco and Large Enterprise markets. The operation allows Nethive to strengthen the highly strategic business line of proprietary software development and to expand the product portfolio through the acquisition of solutions already established on the market, easily integrated with those currently offered and highly complementary. We aim to expand in Latin America, the Middle East (Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, etc) and above all in Africa (Cameroon, Kenya, Algeria and Libya), where there is great potential, with high investments in telco and new technologies and where we detect the ferment in the field of telecommunications that existed in Italy in the 1990s.
Speaking of our country, is there more awareness of the importance of cybersecurity today than in the past?
Yes, over the years we have seen cyber security become an integral part of business processes with heightened awareness. And we believe it will grow further in the future both on the business side and on the personal and family side. Companies, like public administrations and individuals, know what damage a cyber attack can cause to their business and family. We are all aware that no one is immune from a threat or attack unless they are well protected.
Is the digital transition accelerating the spread of cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is a challenge of digital transformation. It is a slice of the investment that a company must make for its digital transition. But it is essential to understand that cybersecurity is never a cost, rather it is an investment with a double value. On the one hand, it protects its business and with it its entire ecosystem, its stakeholders. On the other hand, investing in cybersecurity is a competitive advantage because by protecting yourself you protect your entire supply chain. Experience tells us that a secure company prefers to sign contracts with equally secure companies.
Is cybersecurity also a cultural revolution?
Certainly. Twenty years ago in Italy cybersecurity was a sort of commodity. We were paying a big gap with the Anglo-Saxon world. Suffice it to recall that professional figures such as the security officer were a rarity. Today the scenario has changed. Cyber security has a higher value.
Are there economic sectors more protected and others less?
The financial one is more so because the attacks they have suffered have been greater over the years. On the other hand, there is less security in the manufacturing sector. On the other hand, cybersecurity in both public and private healthcare is growing a lot and where not only networks but also electromedical devices are targeted by hackers.
HiveFlow4C and HiveFlow4B two of your “jewels”, what are they about?
These are two solutions that we never stop expanding and updating. HiveFlow4B is the most performing multi-tenant solution to allow small and large companies to manage visibility and cybersecurity areas on large fleets of human and IoT devices connected to the mobile and fixed network. It is an agentless solution for autonomously managing data traffic policies, reducing roaming costs and high consumption and significantly increasing business productivity. For the consumer world in 2018 we developed HiveFlow4C, the parental control and digital wellness solution for families in the fixed and mobile telephony sector (5G ready) which continues to have great success.
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