• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechChanging Face of Security

Amazon and Goldman Sachs Are Investing Millions in This Cybersecurity Startup

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 1, 2016, 12:01 AM ET
Amazon & Sinking Ship Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Celebration
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 29: A general view of atmosphere at Amazon & Sinking Ship Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Celebration on April 29, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Amazon Studios)Todd Williamson—Getty Images for Amazon Studios

Ionic Security, a data protection startup based in Atlanta, said it raised $45 million in a venture capital funding from Amazon (AMZN), Goldman Sachs (GS), and hedge fund Hayman Capital on Wednesday.

The round brings the company’s total funding raised to $122 million to date. Existing investors also participated in the round, including GV (née Google (GOOG) Ventures), Icon Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Meritech Capital Partners, and Tech Operators.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Adam Ghetti, founder and chief executive officer of Ionic, originally conceived of the idea for the company as a kind anti-Facebook (FB), allowing him full control of the data he shared on the social network. The five-year-old startup now provides companies with tailored controls that allow employees to protect corporate and personal data through encryption and layered levels of access. (You can read more about the concept and history in this Fortune story from last year.)

Ghetti told Fortune on a call that his company has roughly doubled in size to 200 employees in the past year, adding headcount primarily in areas like product development and project management. Next up, Ghetti said he plans to “double down on engaging the external development community,” designing tools that will allow application developers to more easily build customized products and integrations using the company’s software.

For more on cybersecurity startup funding, watch:

“We can throw out SDKs and say, ‘Good luck!'” Ghetti says, using a common acronym for software development kits. “Or we can do a good job supporting them.” Those relationships allow the company to gain footholds in areas and with businesses that the company doesn’t have official partnerships with, like the popular office chat app Slack.

Goldman, now an investor, was one of Ionic’s earliest customers when it began using its encryption product nearly two years ago. “We believe that Ionic’s platform addresses one of the biggest unsolved security problems for large enterprises today: how to enable employees to utilize modern communication and collaboration platforms while also maintaining adequate controls and security standards,” said Ward Waltemath, Goldman’s managing director and head of software investment, in a statement.

Amazon Web Services also struck a partnership with Ionic on top of the funding deal, integrating its offerings with the company’s cloud infrastructure. “Internet-scale, high-assurance data protection and control services are critical to the success of a cloud- and mobile-enabled ecosystem,” said Stephen Schmidt, chief information security officer at AWS. “The goal of our collaboration with Ionic is to deliver these services to any organization, at scale with provisioning, management ease and streamlined procurement via AWS Marketplace.”

Ghetti mentioned that, based on his own experience and accounts he has heard from others, “things are starting to get dicier in the fundraising environment.”

“We have never taken the highest priced term sheet offered to us,” Ghetti added. “We’ve taken the one that the investors behind term sheet are most aligned to where we are, where we’re going, and how plan to get there.”

As the once-booming cybersecurity venture capital sector cools, other entrepreneurs may not be so lucky.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Big TechStreaming
Trump warns Netflix-Warner deal may pose antitrust ‘problem’
By Hadriana Lowenkron, Se Young Lee and BloombergDecember 7, 2025
5 hours ago
Big TechOpenAI
OpenAI goes from stock market savior to burden as AI risks mount
By Ryan Vlastelica and BloombergDecember 7, 2025
6 hours ago
AIData centers
HP’s chief commercial officer predicts the future will include AI-powered PCs that don’t share data in the cloud
By Nicholas GordonDecember 7, 2025
8 hours ago
Future of WorkJamie Dimon
Jamie Dimon says even though AI will eliminate some jobs ‘maybe one day we’ll be working less hard but having wonderful lives’
By Jason MaDecember 7, 2025
12 hours ago
CryptoCryptocurrency
So much of crypto is not even real—but that’s starting to change
By Pete Najarian and Joe BruzzesiDecember 7, 2025
17 hours ago
Elon Musk
Big TechSpaceX
SpaceX to offer insider shares at record-setting $800 billion valuation
By Edward Ludlow, Loren Grush, Lizette Chapman, Eric Johnson and BloombergDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Real Estate
The 'Great Housing Reset' is coming: Income growth will outpace home-price growth in 2026, Redfin forecasts
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Nvidia CEO says data centers take about 3 years to construct in the U.S., while in China 'they can build a hospital in a weekend'
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The most likely solution to the U.S. debt crisis is severe austerity triggered by a fiscal calamity, former White House economic adviser says
By Jason MaDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook for the metaverse. Four years and $70 billion in losses later, he’s moving on
By Eva RoytburgDecember 5, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says Europe has a 'real problem’
By Katherine Chiglinsky and BloombergDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
11 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.