Amsterdam-based Zivver, a prominent European provider of AI-powered email security and secure communications, has been acquired by Kiteworks, a company specializing in private data network solutions for secure data exchange, to broaden its sovereign data offerings and global market presence.

This acquisition follows Kiteworks’ accelerated growth trajectory, bolstered by $456 million in growth equity funding from Insight Partners and Sixth Street Growth in August 2024. Through this integration, Zivver’s private data exchange portfolio will expand to include sovereign data solutions deployable on-premises, in private cloud, or in public cloud environments. This move aims to strengthen Zivver’s capacity to address the increasing demand from European governments and enterprises for more flexible and sovereign secure data exchange capabilities, while also enabling the introduction of its solutions to new international markets.

Zivver is recognized in Europe for its advanced data classification, human error prevention, and zero-access encryption across its secure email, file transfer, and eSignatures solutions. A key differentiator for Zivver is its design, which ensures neither Zivver nor its cloud providers can access an organization’s sensitive emails, files, and documents. This architecture positions Zivver as one of the few cloud providers globally not subject to data access risks under laws such as the U.S. CLOUD Act. The increasing demand for broader and more sovereign communication solutions prompted Zivver to seek a strategic partner to meet these evolving needs.

Wouter Klinkhamer, CEO of Zivver, stated, “Our objective was to join forces with a global leader that shares our vision for zero-access security and meets Europe’s stringent data sovereignty standards. Kiteworks not only mirrors our philosophy on encryption and zero-trust data exchange but also offers on-premises and private cloud deployment options for monitoring all private data moving within, into, and out of organizations—including with countless third parties. This synergy with Kiteworks enables us to deliver zero-trust data exchange for every send, share, receive, and use of private data—regardless of the channels. This enables us to prevent everything from human-error data leaks in emails to the safeguarding of large file transfers, all under the customer’s control.”

With a global footprint and a significant European customer base, the Kiteworks platform offers transparency and oversight into how, when, and where data is shared, helping organizations prevent inadvertent and malicious data breaches. Leveraging its market penetration and comprehensive platform, Kiteworks intends to accelerate the introduction of Zivver’s data protection, data classification, human-error prevention, and user-friendly secure email capabilities into fast-growing international markets where zero-trust data exchange is critical.

Amit Toren, Chief Business Officer at Kiteworks, commented, “Organizations require comprehensive solutions that protect private data shared and sent across all communication channels while maintaining seamless user experiences. By bringing Zivver’s innovative secure email technology into our Private Data Network, we’re providing the combined customer base with enhanced capabilities to secure their most sensitive communications while meeting stringent compliance requirements. This acquisition reflects our focus on continuous innovation in secure data exchange, including AI-based data protection, coupled with the continued growth in our talented global team.”

Rick Goud, Chief Innovation Officer at Zivver, added, “The challenges surrounding data sovereignty—especially in Europe—require solutions that don’t compromise on user-friendliness while still meeting the highest standards of security and compliance. The Zivver-Kiteworks combination makes this possible by giving organizations full control over where their data is stored, while ensuring compliance with regional regulations. I’m not aware of any other solution worldwide that offers this level of flexibility in terms of supported use cases, hosting models, and security features. This will create major opportunities for both our existing and future customers who are looking to reduce their dependency on the ‘American cloud’ in these dynamic times of geopolitical uncertainty.”