Kiteworks, a company specializing in data privacy and compliance for sensitive content communications through its Private Content Network (PCN), has acquired 123FormBuilder, a leading provider of secure web forms and form-driven private content workflows. The acquisition strengthens Kiteworks’ data collection capabilities, enhancing its mission to unify, track, control, and secure sensitive content moving within, into, and out of organizations. This move follows Kiteworks’ recent growth equity investment of $456 million, reflecting its aggressive expansion strategy.

The Private Content Network (PCN) offered by Kiteworks enables organizations to reduce compliance risk by centralizing the management of sensitive content, from file transfers to emails and web forms, ensuring data privacy and regulatory compliance across a wide range of industries. With 123FormBuilder’s secure and easy-to-use form-building platform, Kiteworks is set to offer a more comprehensive solution for businesses that rely on secure data collection and form-driven workflows.

123FormBuilder provides no-code, drag-and-drop form creation capabilities, empowering users to create a variety of forms such as registration forms, order forms, surveys, and more. The platform features conditional logic, multipage forms, file uploads, e-signature functionality, and integrations with over 45 popular third-party tools like Salesforce, Stripe, HubSpot, and Shopify. These capabilities will now be integrated into Kiteworks’ Private Content Network, offering enhanced form-driven workflows and data collection to Kiteworks’ customers.

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Amit Toren, Senior Vice President of Corporate and Business Development at Kiteworks, welcomed 123FormBuilder to the Kiteworks family. “123FormBuilder’s emphasis on security and compliance aligns perfectly with our Private Content Network vision. Our customers will now benefit from dynamic form creation with bidirectional integration of web forms into a range of solutions. This acquisition marks another milestone in Kiteworks’ growth strategy, allowing us to further expand our market presence and technological capabilities through strategic mergers and acquisitions.”

The integration of 123FormBuilder’s secure data collection technology will provide Kiteworks’ customers with additional capabilities, including the consolidation of audit logs for compliance tracking and streamlined reporting, a critical feature for businesses facing regulatory scrutiny. With these enhancements, businesses will be able to manage their data privacy needs more efficiently, ensuring that their form-driven data collection processes remain secure and compliant with industry regulations.

Florin Cornianu, CEO of 123FormBuilder, expressed enthusiasm for the acquisition, stating, “We are thrilled to join the Kiteworks family and contribute to its Private Content Network vision. Our platform, designed to provide secure, user-friendly data collection solutions, will benefit greatly from Kiteworks’ guidance and resources. This acquisition underscores our long-term commitment to innovation in security and compliance, and we look forward to further developing our technology under the banner of a well-funded and forward-thinking organization.”

With the acquisition of 123FormBuilder, Kiteworks is poised to enhance its service offerings, particularly in the areas of secure data collection and form-driven workflows, positioning itself as a leading player in the privacy and compliance sector for sensitive content communications. The move aligns with Kiteworks’ ongoing efforts to expand through strategic M&A activities and solidify its market leadership in data security and compliance.

What’s next for Kiteworks

Following its acquisition of 123FormBuilder and the recent $456 million growth equity investment, Kiteworks is well-positioned for continued expansion and innovation. Here’s what could be next for Kiteworks:

1. Enhanced Product Integration: Kiteworks will likely focus on integrating 123FormBuilder’s secure web form and data collection capabilities into its existing Private Content Network (PCN). This could result in a unified platform for managing, tracking, and securing sensitive content communications, with an emphasis on simplifying compliance and improving data workflows.
2. Expansion of Compliance Capabilities: With increasing global regulations around data privacy and security, Kiteworks may introduce more advanced compliance tools to help organizations meet industry-specific regulatory requirements. Expect features like enhanced audit logs, improved risk management, and real-time compliance tracking to become more central in its offerings.
3. Growth in Strategic Markets: Kiteworks might target expansion into new industries and regions that prioritize secure communication and data privacy, such as healthcare, financial services, and government sectors. International growth, especially in regions with stringent data protection laws like Europe, could be a key focus area.
4. Continued M&A Activity: Given its recent capital injection, Kiteworks may pursue additional strategic acquisitions to strengthen its technology stack and market presence. Acquiring complementary companies in areas like AI-driven data security, threat detection, or cloud storage could help broaden its portfolio.
5. Innovation in Data Privacy & Security: With the integration of form-driven workflows from 123FormBuilder, Kiteworks is likely to innovate in privacy solutions for managing sensitive data. This could include developing new encryption technologies, AI-driven threat detection, or zero-trust architecture solutions.
6. Focus on Customer-Centric Solutions: Kiteworks will likely enhance its user experience, possibly introducing more no-code solutions or integrations with popular enterprise software like Salesforce, HubSpot, or SharePoint, making it easier for organizations to manage their sensitive content while maintaining high levels of security.

These efforts will allow Kiteworks to capitalize on the growing demand for privacy and compliance solutions, positioning it as a leader in secure content communications.

Next acquisition plan

While Kiteworks has not publicly announced its next acquisition, there are a few potential areas where the company could focus its future M&A strategy based on its recent moves and industry trends:

1. AI and Machine Learning for Security: Acquiring a company that specializes in AI-driven security or threat detection could help Kiteworks enhance its platform’s ability to detect and respond to threats in real-time, improving the security of sensitive content communications.
2. Cloud Security and Encryption: With the increasing shift toward cloud-based services, Kiteworks might look to acquire a cloud security or encryption company to strengthen its ability to protect data stored and shared in the cloud. This would be especially relevant as more businesses rely on cloud infrastructure for their operations.
3. Compliance and Risk Management Tools: Given Kiteworks’ emphasis on regulatory compliance, the company could target firms that specialize in compliance management, particularly those that focus on automating audits and monitoring for industry-specific regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, or CCPA.
4. Data Integration and Workflow Automation: To further enhance its form-driven workflows, Kiteworks may pursue acquisitions in the field of workflow automation or companies offering robust integrations with enterprise software. This could allow the company to better support end-to-end data flows across various platforms like Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and others.
5. Zero-Trust Security Solutions: Zero-trust architecture is a growing trend in cybersecurity. Kiteworks might look to acquire a company specializing in zero-trust solutions, which would add an extra layer of security by ensuring that every access request to its platform is thoroughly verified.

These acquisitions would align with Kiteworks’ strategy to grow its Private Content Network and solidify its leadership in secure content communications and compliance solutions.

New Kiteworks partnerships

Kiteworks may explore several potential partnerships to enhance its platform and expand its market reach. While specific new partnerships have not been officially announced, here are a few strategic areas where Kiteworks could form alliances:

1. Cloud Service Providers

Partnering with leading cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud would allow Kiteworks to offer more seamless integrations with cloud storage and computing services. This could help customers securely manage sensitive content and ensure compliance in cloud environments.

2. Cybersecurity Firms

To strengthen its security offerings, Kiteworks could collaborate with prominent cybersecurity firms, such as Palo Alto Networks or CrowdStrike. These partnerships would enhance Kiteworks’ ability to detect, mitigate, and respond to threats, ensuring even tighter protection of sensitive content communications.

3. Compliance and Legal Tech Providers

Kiteworks might team up with compliance and legal tech companies to help businesses meet regulatory standards more effectively. Collaborations with companies that focus on GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulations could offer customers tools for real-time compliance tracking and reporting, further simplifying the audit process.

4. Enterprise Software Solutions

To bolster its integration capabilities, Kiteworks could form partnerships with major enterprise software platforms such as Salesforce, HubSpot, or SAP. These alliances would allow Kiteworks to provide customers with secure content management and data sharing directly within the tools they already use, improving workflow efficiency and security.

5. Digital Identity & Authentication Services

With security at the forefront, Kiteworks could benefit from partnerships with digital identity verification and authentication companies like Okta or Auth0. This would provide customers with enhanced security layers, particularly in managing access to sensitive content across distributed teams and remote environments.

6. Data Privacy and Governance Platforms

Partnerships with firms like OneTrust or TrustArc, which specialize in privacy and governance solutions, could allow Kiteworks to enhance its compliance capabilities and offer advanced data governance features. This would be particularly valuable for customers in heavily regulated industries such as healthcare, finance, and government.

7. Telecom and 5G Providers

With the growth of secure content sharing needs over mobile networks, Kiteworks could partner with telecom companiesKiteworks Expands Data Collection Capabilities with Acquisition of 123FormBuilder or 5G network providers to offer secure and compliant communication channels, especially for industries like healthcare or defense that require sensitive data management on mobile devices.

These partnerships would enable Kiteworks to expand its ecosystem, providing more comprehensive solutions for its customers and strengthening its position in the market.