Trend Micro considering a sale to private equity: Report

The cybersecurity vendor is reportedly mulling a buyout deal by investors

Trend Micro is reportedly exploring an acquisition deal by potential buyers including private equity investors.

CRN has reached out to Trend Micro for comment.

According to a Reuters report, Trend Micro is considering a sale either to a private equity firm or another investor.

The deliberations come after the cybersecurity vendor found "buyout interest," as well as a decline in the company's stock price and a recent weakening in the value of the yen, the report said. Trend Micro is based in Tokyo.

Citing unnamed sources, Reuters reported that Trend Micro has begun engaging with investment banks to assist with the process.

Trend Micro also disclosed financial results for its fiscal second quarter, ended June 30, which saw net sales climb 13 per cent year-over-year to $440m.

In October, Trend Micro announced a major step in its efforts to help enable the channel to deliver more services around its Vision One cybersecurity platform with the launch of a redesigned partner programme that added new competencies, assessments and discounts for partners.

The updates have come as Trend Micro continues to expand the capabilities on Vision One, its unified cybersecurity platform for threat detection, response and prevention.

Recent years have seen numerous publicly traded cybersecurity vendors taken private through deals with private equity investors, including KnowBe4, Proofpoint, SailPoint and Ping Identity.

Earlier this year, Thoma Bravo said it had reached a deal to acquire Darktrace for $5.32bn, while a report in late July indicated that Tenable was exploring a sale to a private equity firm or other buyer.