LLR Partners today announced the acquisition of BluVector, an advanced, next-generation machine learning threat detection and cyber hunting solution, from Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. BluVector will operate as a standalone business led by CEO Kris Lovejoy, who previously served as president of the business unit within Northrop Grumman. LLR Partners has committed $50 million to BluVector to support the acquisition and future growth plans.
BluVector utilizes machine learning to provide network-based Advanced Threat Detection and reduce response time from months to minutes. BluVector’s Intel grade, high-speed appliance enables Security Operations Center (SOC) analysts and Incident Response teams to gain actionable insight on advanced threats in real time. Only BluVector uses AI and machine learning to look across the entirety of network data to find linkages, analyze relationships and develop targeted threat profiles in real-time—so that security staff can zero in on the meaningful threats before the damage is done.
“As part of Northrop Grumman, we were able to create truly innovative threat hunting capabilities and disrupt the market. Emerging as a standalone business now gives BluVector the opportunity to extend our leadership position in both existing and emerging security sectors,” said Kris Lovejoy, CEO of BluVector. “Partnering with LLR brings to the equation a keen understanding of the cyber market and the resources to help us accelerate growth in the commercial space.”
As the volume and complexity of advanced threats increases, threat hunting solutions like BluVector are arming security professionals with the intelligence tools they need to identify, understand and remediate increasingly advanced threats. While many available solutions struggle to keep pace with the rapidly evolving threat landscape, BluVector’s disruptive technology is set to lead the way toward faster and more sophisticated advanced threat detection and investigation.
“BluVector’s technology is highly scalable and easy to integrate with disparate security solutions, giving enterprises a holistic way to help defend against all forms of malware, both known and unknown,” said Brian Radic, vice president at LLR Partners. “We are excited to partner with Kris Lovejoy and her management team, leveraging their impressive technical acumen and our collective cyber industry expertise to support growth at BluVector.”
About BluVector
BluVector is a cyber-threat detection and hunting platform that defends enterprises against evolving security threats. Leveraging patented machine learning technology and based upon years of malware analysis and classification, BluVector delivers fast, highly scalable and integrated detection of malicious software targeting enterprise networks to help security teams stay ahead of advanced threats and protect against data breaches and theft. BluVector’s installed base of customers includes Fortune® 1000 and public sector organizations. For more information, please visit www.bluvectorcyber.com or BluVector on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/ bluvector.
About LLR Partners
LLR Partners is a private equity firm investing in middle market growth companies. LLR invests in a broad range of industries, with an emphasis on software and technology-enabled services. Founded in 1999 and with more than $2 billion raised across four funds, LLR is a flexible provider of capital for growth, recapitalizations and buyouts. For more information about LLR, visit www.llrpartners.com.
