The US Central Intelligence Agency’s strategic investment arm has realized its investment in SignaCert a year after backing the cyber-defence company’s second round of funding.
New York-listed Harris Corp has agreed to acquire SignaCert for an undisclosed sum.
In-Q-Tel, an independent, not-for-profit strategic investment firm launched by the CIA in 1999 and that has backed 150 companies, joined SignaCert’s $8.8m B round in April last year, which was also backed by return investor Intel Capital, the in-house venture capital arm of US semiconductor maker Intel.
The A round was more than three years ago in January 2006 and supported by Doll Capital Management (DCM), Intel Capital, SmartForest Ventures and Garage Technology Ventures, which all returned in the B round.
Hugh Mackworth, managing partner of SmartForest, is SignaCert’s chairman with Scott Alberts, venture partner at DCM, a board director.
Technology veteran Wyatt Starnes founded SignaCert in 2004 and will join Harris as vice president and chief technology officer for Harris Cyber Integrated Solutions.