Cybersecurity awareness training platform company Cyber Guru Srl announced today that it has acquired Mantra SAS, a French startup specializing in employee awareness and protection, for an undisclosed price.

Founded in 2020, Mantra offers cybersecurity awareness and phishing simulation services with a mission to empower organizations by enhancing their employees’ resilience against cyberattacks, particularly those exploiting human vulnerabilities.

Mantra offers an all-in-one platform that combines cybersecurity awareness training with realistic phishing simulations. The company’s approach is designed to ensure that employees not only understand the theoretical aspects of cybersecurity but also gain practical experience in identifying and responding to potential threats.

Key to Mantra’s offering is an emphasis on the importance of the human layer in organizational security, particularly given that about 90% of cyberattacks originate from phishing or human error. The Mantra platform leverages advanced techniques to simulate real-world attacks, helping teams build effective defense mechanisms.

Mantra also incorporates gamification and psychological tactics into its training modules to foster a proactive security culture. The strategy enhances user engagement, making cybersecurity practices more intuitive and integral to daily operations.

Cyber Guru intends to integrate Mantra’s fully automated security awareness training solutions, including real-time defense and chat-enabled awareness training, into its own services. The two companies’ platforms will be combined to deliver more than 340 billion data points and enhanced machine learning training models that will enable the delivery of highly personalized and effective security training experiences for the combined global customer base of more than 1,000 organizations and more than 1.5 million active users.

“Joining forces with Mantra marks a significant step in our international expansion and portfolio growth, enabling us to better serve our customers with the most advanced technologies on the market,” said Cyber Guru Chief Executive Gianni Baroni.

As part of the deal, the entire Mantra team will join Cyber Guru, including its co-founders, who will become part of the leadership team. Mantra CEO Gaspard Droz will take the role of country managing director for France and Mantra Chief Technology Officer Guillaume Charhon joins Cyber Guru as the group chief architect.

Coming into its acquisition, Mantra had raised a single seed round of €1.92 million ($2.09 million) from eight investors, including Axeleo Capital SAS, Bpifrance Investissement SAS and La Française des Jeux SA.

Image: Mantra