Dutch-based Guardey bags €2.2M to provide SMEs with enterprise-level cybersecurity

Rotterdam-based Guardey, a startup that offers SMEs cybersecurity software to ensure online security and privacy, announced on Tuesday that it has raised €2.2M in a fresh round of funding.

The company says that a group of Dutch entrepreneurs and investors, who see the need of providing smaller enterprises with an easy way to defend themselves against cybercrime, made the investment.

Plug & play cybersecurity solution 

The majority of cybersecurity products on the market are designed for large businesses, but SMEs and independent contractors are also increasingly facing cyberattacks. This is where Guardey looks to operate.

The company was born in response to the market’s need for easily accessible and reasonably priced cybersecurity tools for small and medium-sized organisations. Guardey was developed by the team of GOOSE VPN, the first Dutch VPN for consumers, which appeared on the market in 2017 and now helps 120,000 users worldwide with a secure online connection.

Joeri van de Watering, co-founder and CEO of Guardey, says, “We believe that SMEs and freelancers deserve the same cybersecurity as the big boys. Did you know that it takes an average of 280 days for a company to realise that they have been hacked? The hacker’s goal is to remain inconspicuous for as long as possible in order to do as much damage as possible. The longer it takes to realise you’ve been hacked, the greater the damage. Guardey continuously monitors for suspicious online behaviour so that action can be taken immediately before major damage is done.”

Guardey is an app that encrypts the internet connection through a VPN. Between the device and the internet, a VPN builds a tunnel. The user’s privacy and anonymity are ensured by the tunnel’s complete security. 

Based on destination and behaviour, the Guardey cyber alarm examines all communication in the secure connection. Real-time risk assessment is performed. The user is then alerted and given the opportunity to respond when the alarm detects a threat.

The app will eventually have a gaming component. Weekly challenges educate users on how to spot phishing emails and dubious online activity so that businesses may become more robust to cyberattacks.

More Dutch companies dealing with cybercrime

According to a study by ABN AMRO, the percentage of Dutch companies that faced cyberattacks increased to 45 per cent this year from 29 per cent in 2021.

Erwin Gritter, tax specialist and investor in Guarde, says, “In my work, I speak to entrepreneurs every day who have not yet properly arranged their cybersecurity, even though there is an increasing chance that they will become a victim. Accessible cybersecurity for SMEs is essential to offer smaller companies good online protection. That’s why I decided to invest in Guardey.”