Sectigo Acquisition & Valuation

Sectigo was acquired by GI Partners for $900M in September 2020.

Sectigo Overview

About Sectigo

Sectigo is a leading certificate authority that issues and manages TLS/SSL digital certificates for securing human and machine identities worldwide. The company operates a cloud-native Certificate Lifecycle Manager platform compatible with all trusted CAs, automating deployment for enterprises. With over 700,000 customers including Fortune 500 brands, Sectigo maintains its position as one of the largest CAs after two decades in operation. Headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, it supports PKI solutions, code signing, IoT security, and S/MIME email encryption across global infrastructures.


Founded

2000

HQ

United StatesPhoenix, AZ

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Subscription

Valuation

$900M (acquired Sep 2020)

Sectigo Acquisition

Sectigo was acquired by GI Partners for $900M on 16 September 2020.

Sectigo is a leading provider of automated digital identity management and web security solutions, specializing in certificate lifecycle management (CLM) for securing human and machine identities. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, the company operates as one of the largest and most reputable certificate authorities (CAs), serving over 700,000 customers worldwide through retail, enterprise channels, and a network of more than 1,200 partners. In September 2020, Sectigo was acquired by GI Partners, a private investment firm, from previous owner Francisco Partners, who had owned the business since 2017. GI Partners acted as the lead investor in this transaction, expected to close in Q4 2020, to support Sectigo's acceleration of security innovations, organic growth, M&A, and global expansion amid rising demand for digital identity management driven by remote work. Under Francisco Partners' prior ownership, Sectigo expanded globally, scaled operations, and achieved significant milestones in cybersecurity market leadership. The acquisition by GI Partners marked a new growth chapter, with the firm leveraging its experience in technology investments to fuel Sectigo's innovation and go-to-market strategies.

Sectigo acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePrice
  • GI Partners
16 Sep 2020PE buyout$900M

Sources: sectigo.com, privateequityinternational.com

Acquisitions by Sectigo

Sectigo has acquired 4 companies to date.

Last acquisition by Sectigo was on January 29th 2025. Sectigo acquired Entrust (public certificate unit) for undisclosed valuation.


Latest Acquisitions by Sectigo

Entrust (public certificate unit)
SiteLock
Icon Labs
CodeGuard
Description
-
SiteLock is a cybersecurity firm offering website scanning and protection services tailored for small and medium-sized businesses. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, and founded in 2008, it provides automated daily scans detecting malware, vulnerabilities, and blacklisting issues using proprietary technology. SiteLock's services include one-click malware removal, firewall protection, and vulnerability patching, with add-ons like web application firewall and content delivery network integration. The company protects over one million websites globally, serving clients in e-commerce and hosting sectors through partnerships with GoDaddy, Network Solutions, and Shopify.
Icon Labs is a West Des Moines, Iowa-headquartered provider of embedded security software for IoT and OEM devices, supporting operating systems like VxWorks, Linux, and QNX. Products include Floodgate Firewall, AppCheck, and Secure Boot modules deployed in telecom routers, industrial controllers, and medical devices from clients in aerospace and critical infrastructure. Founded in 1992, the firm delivers certifications under IEC 62304 and NIST standards with professional integration services.
CodeGuard is a provider of automated daily backups, continuous monitoring, and malware remediation for websites targeting small and medium-sized businesses. The platform employs file integrity monitoring based on version control systems to capture differential changes between scans and stores data securely in the cloud. Users restore sites to previous versions in real time, similar to Apple's Time Machine functionality, while proactive detection identifies hacks through analysis of modified files before threats propagate. Atlanta-headquartered CodeGuard integrates with control panels like cPanel, Plesk, and DirectAdmin, supporting platforms such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. The service also offers white-label solutions for web hosts and agencies.
HQ CountryUnited StatesUnited StatesUnited StatesUnited States
HQ City
-
Phoenix, AZ
Des Moines, IA
Atlanta, GA
Deal Date29 Jan 20254 May 20219 May 201916 Aug 2018
Valuationundisclosedundisclosed$10Mundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Sectigo acquisitions and their M&A valuation multiples.

Start Free Trial

Sectigo Competitors

Sectigo competitors include listed companies like Asiainfo Security and Rapid7, and private ones like Cape, Corelight, SecurityScorecard and Sublime Security.

Public and private companies comparable to Sectigo
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
CapeUnited StatesWashington, DCPrivate--$900M-
CorelightUnited StatesSan Francisco, CAPrivate--$900M-
SecurityScorecardUnited StatesNew York City, NYPrivate--$900M-
Asiainfo SecurityChinaChinaPublicly listed$1.2B($11M)$918M1.3x
Sublime SecurityUnited StatesWashington, DCPrivate--$926M-
Rapid7United StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$860M$63M$1B1.5x

Sectigo Public Comps

Sectigo is no longer listed, but its public comps include BeiJing Certificate, Asiainfo Security, Global Security Experts, OneSpan, Rapid7, Mitek Systems, Eastcompeace Tech, Red Violet, Riskified and CANCOM.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
BeiJing Certificate$126M($12M)6.7x-(70.4x)-
Asiainfo Security$1.2B($11M)1.4x1.3x(147.4x)399.4x
Global Security Experts$70M$14M11.4x9.8x54.9x-
OneSpan$243M$57M3.1x3.0x13.2x10.1x
Rapid7$860M$63M1.4x1.5x19.5x7.3x
Mitek Systems$180M$37M4.1x3.7x19.8x11.0x
Eastcompeace Tech$198M$26M4.1x-31.2x-
Red Violet$90M$24M11.3x9.8x43.0x26.2x

This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Sectigo competitors and their valuation data.

Start Free Trial

Common questions about Sectigo

When was Sectigo founded?Sectigo was founded in 2000.
Where is Sectigo headquartered?Sectigo is headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, United States.
Is Sectigo publicly listed?No, Sectigo was acquired by GI Partners in September 2020.
Who acquired Sectigo?Sectigo was acquired by GI Partners in September 2020.
How much was Sectigo acquired for?Sectigo was acquired for $900M in September 2020.
Which companies are comparable to Sectigo?Companies comparable to Sectigo include Cape, Corelight, SecurityScorecard, Asiainfo Security, Sublime Security and Rapid7.
How many companies has Sectigo acquired?Sectigo has acquired 4 companies, including Entrust (public certificate unit), SiteLock, Icon Labs and CodeGuard.
What was the largest acquisition by Sectigo?The $10M acquisition of Icon Labs in May 2019 is the largest acquisition Sectigo has made to date.

See companies similar to Sectigo

Start Your
Free Trial Today

Try Multiples for free for 3 days. Got questions or need a demo? Schedule a call with us below.

Start Trial