From Writehook to a $300M Cybersecurity Exit

In 2017, I left my role as head of social media for a global company to start fresh as a freelancer. Over the next five years, I started and grew Writehook, working on exciting projects at the edge of technology. Every day brought new challenges – and opportunities to help companies grow through the power of words. 

One of those clients was a small cybersecurity startup that needed help with some blogs. This led to an industry report covering security risks emanating from third-party apps integrated with core SaaS applications. By late 2022, the company offered me a role. After aligning on my needs, I joined Adaptive Shield in November of that year.

Over the next two years, I helped Adaptive Shield tell its story – and results followed. Our website grew from 4 pages to over 200 pages. I wrote industry reports, ebooks, blogs, data sheets, presentations, articles, analyst reports, case studies, tech partnerships, videos, and kits. Each asset reinforced our position as a leader in SaaS security, educating the market and driving demand.

In 2023, we were a company on the rise. Sales grew. Our product was strong, and more businesses were recognizing vulnerabilities in their SaaS tenants. Misconfigurations, users, devices, and shadow applications were all contributing to a weakened security posture. Our SaaS security solution, which offered both prevention and detection capabilities, fit their needs perfectly. 

Nearly every week brought on new hires. The company expanded operations, with employees in North America, Europe, and Australia.  We had the attention of analysts, customers, and competitors. But they weren’t all. 

Apparently, we had also caught the attention of an $84B global cybersecurity giant. We already had a tech partnership with that company, but this was different. 

They devoured our content. The cybersecurity giant downloaded everything we published, comparing our solution to other acquisition targets that were under consideration. In the end, they made an offer, and Adaptive Shield made a cybersecurity exit. The price was not disclosed, but according to some published reports, it was about $300M. 

As the dust settles, one thing is clear: great technology needs great storytelling to succeed. Marketing played a pivotal role in this journey, turning complex technology into a narrative that captured the market’s attention—and one company hungry for an acquisition.

Ready to take your startup’s content strategy to the next level? If you're an early- or mid-stage startup looking to tell your story, drive growth, and position yourself for success, let’s connect. Together, we can build a content strategy that fuels growth, builds trust, and positions you for lasting success.

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