Proven Network Automation Innovator Accelerates Global Expansion, Appoints Seasoned CEO, and Moves Headquarters to Dallas
Dallas, TX and Tel-Aviv, Israel – October 26, 2021 — BackBox today announced major milestones in the network automation innovator’s mission to meet the surging demand for comprehensive network management and security solutions. Closing a $32 million Series A round of growth financing led by Elsewhere Partners, BackBox also appointed seasoned software industry leader and Elsewhere Partners Operating Advisor Andrew Kahl as CEO and established a new global headquarters in Dallas, Texas.
Already working with 180+ partners such as CheckPoint, Cisco, F5 and Palo Alto Networks, among others to support more than 500 types of software and devices with its intelligent automation solutions, BackBox provides network automation, security and management solutions that help companies streamline complex tasks, ensure network performance and security, and do more with fewer resources. Addressing increasingly complex corporate network environments (e.g., hybrid, multi-cloud) to meet growing distributed workforce needs, BackBox will use the infusion of capital to build out its global team, rapidly scale its offerings and increase its market reach across the United States and EMEA via strategic channel programs. Specifically, BackBox will continue to enhance its network vulnerability detection and remediation functionality and plans to expand its cloud automation and SaaS capabilities.
“The automation that BackBox has provided for daily administration tasks has delivered tremendous time savings. Basic tasks for network configuration, and protecting our environment, are easy to accomplish and diminish our risk points, adding value to our customers and providing them with peace of mind,” noted Doug James, head of transformation office, NetDesign. Learn more about BackBox use cases here.
A vetted software industry executive, Kahl brings decades of experience working with the Elsewhere Partners team to his new role as CEO of BackBox. Kahl is passionate about building out and scaling software companies, having navigated many startups through phases of rapid growth and IPOs. Kahl previously served as co-founder and SVP of operations of CREDANT Technologies, a security software encryption company that was acquired by Dell. He also served as the global VP of customer success delivery for NetApp during its transformation into a world-class customer-facing organization and previously served as the chief customer officer for SailPoint.
“Having worked closely with Elsewhere Partners throughout the due diligence process, I was blown away by the customer success stories, the market potential of BackBox and the impressive growth the team has been able to achieve without previous funding,” said CEO Andrew Kahl. “There is unlimited potential to expand BackBox’s market reach as network environments become more complex and IT constraints continue to evolve. I am thrilled with the opportunity to work with Elsewhere and the co-founders to help lead the next phase in the company’s journey – becoming a global leader in network automation solutions.”
Based in Dallas, Texas, Kahl will buildout BackBox’s new global headquarters. BackBox will keep its engineering and R&D teams based in Tel-Aviv, Israel and focus on growing its operations, customer success and sales teams in the United States. With the support of Elsewhere Partners, BackBox will be building out a new leadership team to support Kahl’s efforts. Co-founder and former CEO Arik Elias will remain with the company and support continued international sales efforts, while co-founder and CTO Rafi Zvi will continue to lead engineering and R&D efforts in the Israeli office.
“Elsewhere Partners, Andrew and the go-to-market expertise they bring will be a winning combination for BackBox,” noted Zvi. “Their dedication to customer success and experience scaling software companies will help BackBox continue to grow.”
Chris Pacitti, founder of Elsewhere Partners, and Sloane Child, vice president of Elsewhere Partners, will join the Board of Directors to provide continued support as BackBox navigates its next phase of growth.
About BackBox
BackBox is a market leader in network automation, security and management solutions. We help companies worldwide automate and streamline complex tasks, ensure network health and performance, achieve business continuity and do more with fewer resources. To learn more, visit www.backbox.com.
About Elsewhere Partners
Elsewhere Partners is a growth-stage investment firm that invests in Elsewhere Outliers – business software companies that are located outside of traditional venture capital hubs and have achieved substantial customer traction and revenue growth without significant outside funding. Elsewhere Partners combines transitional capital with transformational expertise to help companies achieve exit readiness on their own terms. To learn more, visit www.elsewhere.partners.