Malwarebytes makes B2B unit spin-off official, launches ThreatDown

Image credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch

US-based cybersecurity giant Malwarebytes today launched ThreatDown, a new brand spanning its enterprise software portfolio and B2B-focused unit, the company confirmed to TechCrunch.

Earlier this year, Malwarebytes laid off about 100 employees as part of a broader plan to split the company into two separate business units, Malwarebytes CEO Marcin Kleczynski, who founded the company in 2008, told TechCrunch at the time.

Kleczynski made this split official today with the launch of ThreatDown, formerly Malwarebytes for Business. The new business unit will focus on enterprise-oriented software, including managed and endpoint discovery, while Malwarebytes will continue to focus on consumer tools, identity protection and its VPN, Kleczynski told TechCrunch ahead of the split.

Both the consumer and enterprise-facing business units will operate under Malwarebytes’ management team and led by Kleczynski as CEO, he said.

“The company has evolved from its recovery roots, and this new brand and product portfolio reflects that evolution alongside the changing threat landscape,” Kleczynski told TechCrunch. “The launch of ThreatDown formalizes the business unit focused on serving organizations with IT constraints and channel partners.”

“Operationally, this distinction allows employees to focus solely on the specific security challenges they solve for each customer segment,” he added.

Kleczynski said the company does not plan to make any more layoffs as a result of the formalization of the split, but noted that the move “shifted our need for a number of high-level positions,” including Chief Technology Officer. (A former Malwarebytes employee previously told TechCrunch that the company has fired its Chief Technology Officer, Chief Product Officer, and Chief Information Officer.)

Kleczynski said the company has no plans to hire any new management-level positions at this time. “We have senior leaders leading both our internal and external technology teams,” he said. “I also led the product organization because I strongly believe that the company should be product-driven.”

As he told TechCrunch in August, Kleczynski reiterated that Malwarebytes is not actively pursuing the sale of any part of its business or further financing following last year’s $100 million investment from Vector Capital, a private equity firm that invests in established technology companies.

Kleczynski said Malwarebytes remains “healthy and profitable.” The company has approximately 20,000 business customers.

“We are pleased with our partnership with Vector and are not proactively seeking additional financing,” said Kleczynski. “Right now, I’m focused on bringing the new brand to market and continuing to develop the right technology and services to serve organizations with limited resources.”