Apptega is adding 100 jobs to keep up with demand from customers using its technology to stave off an alarming surge in cybersecurity attacks.
The expansion of the 4-year-old Atlanta cybersecurity firm comes as ransomware attacks on businesses have increased 300% nationwide during the past year, said Founder and CEO Armsitead Whitney. Last year, Atlanta saw a spate of cyber attacks that included one against Colonial Pipeline, one of the largest fuel transport systems in the United States.
Apptega is part of a cybersecurity sector attracting record investments. It just raised $37 million from Mainsail Partners, a firm focused on fast-growing software companies. The funding will go toward hiring more employees in sales and product development.
Apptega currently has 37 total employees, with three-quarters based in Atlanta. It looks to triple the workforce in 12 months, Whitney said. Apptega will also look to develop a feature for company auditors.
Whitney has big plans for his company, saying its long-term goal is to become like the "Salesforce.com" of the cybersecurity industry. Salesforce is one of the country's top customer relationship management services. As his company expands into a market leader, Whitney said Appetega can help make "the world safer."
“We’re going to expand our business globally, with more sales and customers [and] a product roadmap creating new features,” Whitney said. “ We’ll take what we've done over four years and bring it to the next level.”
The company was spun out of Georgia Tech’s startup incubator ATDC. It has customers across various industries. Some of its largest include credit services provider Leap Credit and customized self-storage company Storage Post.
Previously, Whitney started the Atlanta software company Preparis Inc. After selling it in 2017, Whitney saw an opportunity to expand into cybersecurity.
