SafeStack closes NZ $4 million funding round led by Blackbird

To say that 2022 has been a big year for SafeStack is to undersell it.

It's been a year where our values and mission have shone as a company. We've finally found peace with being a little different, and instead of fighting it, we've embraced it.

A snapshot of 2022 at SafeStack

So far this year, we have:

• Hired our first apprentices and created genuine pathways to engineering careers

• Sponsored communities worldwide, providing free secure development education to veterans through VetSec, emerging cyber security professionals in Africa through CyberSafe Foundation, and new software developers through The Collab Lab

• Launched our Student Sponsorship program, aiming to train an entire generation of new software development professionals from day one of their careers

• Grown a lot — we’re now providing training for over 350 organizations in 45 countries, representing almost 20,000 paying learners across our programs, plus many joining us on our free plan.

And there's one more big thing.

It's with great pleasure that we announce one last piece of news before this year ends.

SafeStack has closed a funding round led by Blackbird, raising $NZ 4 million to help us build a team of 30 million security-minded software developers worldwide. 

Blackbird’s investment brings capital and a shared alignment of being impact-driven and globally focused.  Their support at this stage is an excellent boost to our team, and we're incredibly proud to be working with them.

Joining Blackbird are Jelix Ventures, Carthona Capital, NAB Ventures, K1W1, and New Zealand Growth Capital Partners’ Aspire NZ Seed Fund, who continue to back our mission and push us to be a force for change in the world of cyber security.

What's next and some well-deserved thank yous

Funding rounds themselves don’t guarantee success.

At SafeStack, we know we have a long road ahead of us when it comes to reaching the global audience that will benefit from our platform. However, having such incredible investor support is an excellent foundation for the coming months and years, and a strong signal about the importance of cyber security and secure development for innovative companies worldwide.

Thank you to Phoebe Harrop and the team from Blackbird New Zealand for championing us and pushing our team to articulate our vision. 

To our returning investors, thank you for your continued faith in SafeStack and our world-sized mission.

To our customers, thank you for embracing secure development and enabling SafeStack to grow, while supporting our community initiatives.

The next two years will be an exhilarating adventure for me as a leader and for us as a company. I hope you'll join us — we're only just beginning.