Chilean cybersecurity company Hackmetrix announced a new seed round of US$1.5 million led by Cometa Ventures.
Amador Holding, Hero Capital, Rallycap Ventures, and Ark have also participated. They have angel investors such as David Buenfil, CEO of Skandia in LatAm, and Domingo Guerra, founder of Appthority.
Hackmetrix operates in its native Chile, Argentina, and Mexico. The new capital will be allocated to strengthen the company’s presence in that country, since Mexico is the second-largest market for cyberattacks, according to a report by Pwc.
The Chilean company, founded in 2018 by Adriel Araujo and Alejandro Parodi, offers cybersecurity services to Latin American startups, including ethical hacking and the implementation of protocols to comply with regulations required by the respective authorities. Hackmetrix’s current clients include Bitso, Mercado Libre and Ualá.
“As SMEs do not have the economic resources or the human capital to pass safety audits or comply with regulations, sales and marketing efforts become a waste of time and resources,” said Adriel Araujo, founder and CEO of Hackmetrix in a statement.
Security: Key for Scaling Startups
Hackmetrix comes at a vulnerable moment for companies, mostly startups, that have a strong technological component.
A CB Insights report shows regulatory or legal challenges represent one of the top 12 reasons startups fail. The lack of security certifications, especially in an environment where hacks have increased considerably, is one of these challenges.
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