• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechCybersecurity

Australia Leads $45 Million Investment in Data Security Startup

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 6, 2017, 5:00 AM ET
Liberal Party Launch Election Campaign In Brisbane
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 12: Treasurer Peter Costello raises his arms to greet his supporters during the Brisbane leg of the Coalition Party election campaign launch at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre on November 12, 2007 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)Bradley Kanaris—Getty Images

A sovereign wealth fund owned by the Australian government has spearheaded a $45 million investment in the cybersecurity firm Bitglass, the company said Friday.

The Aussie asset manager, called the Future Fund, is joined by venture capital backers New Enterprise Associates, Norwest Venture Partners, Singtel’s investing subsidiary Innov8, and others.

Established in 2006, the Future Fund holds more than A$120 billion (roughly $90 billion) under management today.

Based in Campbell, Calif., Bitglass has raised three rounds of funding since its founding in 2013, making this its series C round. The startup has raised a total of $80 million to date, the last round worth $25 million in August 2014.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Bitglass is what’s known as a cloud security access broker, meaning its product serves as a gateway to other cloud services, such as Microsoft (MSFT) Office 365, Salesforce (CRM), Google (GOOG) G Suite, Box (BOX), and Slack. The company aims to protect data stored on servers outside corporate networks, a point of potential vulnerability as workforces increasingly access externally stored computer files using mobile devices.

“Think of us as a firewall in the cloud,” said Nat Kausik, CEO and cofounder of Bitglass, on a call with Fortune.

Here’s how it works: Imagine a salesperson logging into Microsoft Outlook to check email. Bitglass manages connections like these for its customers by applying encryption and security policies to ensure only authorized individuals have access to certain data.

“In the office you might allow full access,” Kausik said, offering an example of a security policy based on geolocation. “On a mobile device in Timbuktu you might have restricted access.”

Kausik, an HP alum who sold two prior companies to Cisco (CSCO) and Computer Associates, said that Bitglass became cash flow even in the middle of last year, although he expects that will not last. The chief exec said he plans to use the latest cash injection to focus on growth in new markets.

For more on Australia’s treasury, watch:

Bitglass has about 70 employees and 500 customers, Kausik said. The firm recently opened an office in Amsterdam, he said.

When asked why Bitglass chose to go with Australia’s Future Fund as an investor, Kausik said that the match-up “represented geographical expansion for us.” The company’s other investors are based in Singapore and the U.S.

The Future Fund invests in businesses with the intention of meeting the Australian government’s pension liabilities to civil servants. In recent months, the fund has returned less than its originators had hoped.

Peter Costello, the former treasurer of Australia and the fund’s founder and chairman, recently said that the fund’s managers might have to pursue riskier investment opportunities to reach the government’s mandated growth goals.

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

Latest in Tech

Sarandos
Arts & EntertainmentM&A
It’s a sequel, it’s a remake, it’s a reboot: Lawyers grow wistful for old corporate rumbles as Paramount, Netflix fight for Warner
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 13, 2025
4 hours ago
Oracle chairman of the board and chief technology officer Larry Ellison delivers a keynote address during the 2019 Oracle OpenWorld on September 16, 2019 in San Francisco, California.
AIOracle
Oracle’s collapsing stock shows the AI boom is running into two hard limits: physics and debt markets
By Eva RoytburgDecember 13, 2025
5 hours ago
robots
InnovationRobots
‘The question is really just how long it will take’: Over 2,000 gather at Humanoids Summit to meet the robots who may take their jobs someday
By Matt O'Brien and The Associated PressDecember 12, 2025
18 hours ago
Man about to go into police vehicle
CryptoCryptocurrency
Judge tells notorious crypto scammer ‘you have been bitten by the crypto bug’ in handing down 15 year sentence 
By Carlos GarciaDecember 12, 2025
19 hours ago
three men in suits, one gesturing
AIBrainstorm AI
The fastest athletes in the world can botch a baton pass if trust isn’t there—and the same is true of AI, Blackbaud exec says
By Amanda GerutDecember 12, 2025
19 hours ago
Brainstorm AI panel
AIBrainstorm AI
Creative workers won’t be replaced by AI—but their roles will change to become ‘directors’ managing AI agents, executives say
By Beatrice NolanDecember 12, 2025
20 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Tariffs are taxes and they were used to finance the federal government until the 1913 income tax. A top economist breaks it down
By Kent JonesDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne sold his 10% stake for $800 in 1976—today it’d be worth up to $400 billion
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
24 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
40% of Stanford undergrads receive disability accommodations—but it’s become a college-wide phenomenon as Gen Z try to succeed in the current climate
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
For the first time since Trump’s tariff rollout, import tax revenue has fallen, threatening his lofty plans to slash the $38 trillion national debt
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 12, 2025
19 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The Fed just ‘Trump-proofed’ itself with a unanimous move to preempt a potential leadership shake-up
By Jason MaDecember 12, 2025
17 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
At 18, doctors gave him three hours to live. He played video games from his hospital bed—and now, he’s built a $10 million-a-year video game studio
By Preston ForeDecember 10, 2025
3 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.