eDiscovery leader Exterro Inc has acquired digital forensic investigation technology provider AccessData, citing converging market forces in DFIR, eDiscovery, privacy and information governance. The combined organisation will have 500 global employees and 3,000 customers, as it reportedly looks to an IPO in 2021. A spokesperson for Exterro confirmed that the acquisition exceeded nine-figures.
The acquisition means that Exterro can now provide companies, government agencies, law enforcement, law firms and legal service providers with a solution that addresses all Legal GRC and digital investigation needs in one integrated platform.
“Converging market forces in DFIR, e-discovery, privacy and information governance are the driving factors behind this acquisition,” said Bobby Balachandran, CEO at Exterro. “To effectively address these critical challenges requires the ability to identify, preserve, analyze and present data in a contextual manner, quickly and inexpensively. It also requires a consistent, defensible process. Ensuring the integrity of the data supply chain is of the utmost importance. With the acquisition of AccessData, Exterro combines all of these capabilities in a single, integrated platform to give organizations a holistic framework for addressing their Legal GRC challenges and obligations.”
Organizations today are faced with continually expanding legal and regulatory obligations and ever-increasing security risks around their data and the data they hold on behalf of others. However, there is significant overlap between critical components of data management, especially with regard to e-discovery, internal investigations, incident and breach response, and privacy. AccessData’s forensic collection, processing and analysis capabilities complement and round out Exterro’s existing e-discovery, privacy, information governance, and incident and breach management solutions.
The acquisition follows Exterro’s fundraise in 2018 of $100m by Leeds Equity Partners. “Bobby and his team have built a very successful business through deep strategic vision, leading product innovation, focus on customer success and strong operating fundamentals,” said Jacques Galante, Managing Director, Leeds Equity Partners at the time. “We look forward to partnering with them to develop and execute on the numerous strategic growth opportunities within the e-discovery and information governance markets.”