First Israeli company and first cybersecurity stock since 2018 to come to the London Stock Exchange
BrandShield protects brands and companies from online threats, such as fraud and phishing, which have accelerated as a result of Covid-19.
BrandShield Limited (“BrandShield”), a leading provider of cyber solutions from brand protection to online threat hunting, has today confirmed its intention to list on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange (LSE). The listing will be via the reverse takeover of Two Shields Investments plc (“Two Shields”) which is a 20 per cent shareholder in BrandShield. Two Shields has made an announcement this morning here. The proposed change of name from Two Shields to BrandShield Systems Plc will reflect the business of the new Company. Admission will become effective, and dealings will commence on AIM on or around 1 December 2020.
BrandShield has raised £3.2 million in new funding to support the growth strategy of the experienced Board led by CEO, Yoav Keren. Mr Keren was one of the founders of BrandShield in 2013, and, among his previous roles, he was head of the Technology branch of the Israeli military’s Information Security Department. The funding has been provided from a range of institutional and private investors, including Dame Ann Gloag, the co-founder of Stagecoach Group.
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The new funding will help BrandShield capitalise on the increasing number of new business opportunities it sees. BrandShield provides digital brand protection and online threat hunting services to protect brands and companies from the financial cost and reputational damage caused by criminal activities. Activities such as phishing and fraud, executive impersonation or the sale of counterfeit goods online. BrandShield’s suite of proprietary AI-powered technology works by detecting potential threats, analysing them, prioritising them and then taking them down. The technology uses big data and algorithms to find networks of fraudulent online activity and clusters of counterfeiters. BrandShield has established its own in-house online hunting and enforcement team consisting mostly of qualified lawyers, with experience in IP law.
The global cyber threat intelligence market is growing rapidly, and according to MarketsandMarkets, is estimated to grow to US$12.9 billion by 2023, at a compound annual growth rate of almost 20%. Over the last two and a half years, BrandShield has increased its Annual Recurring Revenue (“ARR”) by five-times. During 2020, there has been an acceleration in interest in BrandShield due to the increase in online criminal activity caused by Covid-19. As an example, earlier this year, BrandShield announced it had neutralised over 150 phishing websites targeting the Levi Strauss & Co’s brand. BrandShield’s ARR from new business signed in the first six months of 2020 was almost equivalent to that in the whole of 2019.
Headquartered in Israel, BrandShield already works with many global brands and customers that operate in a variety of sectors including financial services, pharmaceuticals, fashion, technology, sports and entertainment. Around two-thirds of BrandShield’s sales are in the US, where, along with Europe and Asia, its products and services are increasingly in demand.
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At the completion of the listing process, BrandShield will be the first Israeli company since 2018 to list on the LSE, and the first listing of a cybersecurity company also since 2018. There are 22 companies of Israeli origin on the London markets with a combined market cap of $8.4 billion.
Yoav Keren, BrandShield CEO, said: “The coronavirus crisis has been a coming of age for online scammers and con artists. Cybercriminals across the world have sought to capitalise from fake medicines to phishing scams. They have targeted changing consumer and work habits such as the increase in online shopping and greater use of video conferencing. More and more companies are waking up to the dangers to their businesses, customers and staff from online scams and threats.
“This means the demand for BrandShield’s market-leading services, which can remove the online threats that cause companies significant financial and reputational damage, is only going to grow. Our listing will provide us with the investment to capitalise on this opportunity and deliver long-term value to our shareholders.”