Cybersecurity company Exein is partnering with Deutsche Telekom IoT to combine device-level security with global connectivity, as connected devices increasingly take on more autonomous and business-critical roles.
The partnership will bring Exein’s runtime security technology together with Deutsche Telekom IoT’s connectivity infrastructure, with the companies targeting connected devices across sectors including industrial automation, automotive, energy and robotics.
The companies said the deal is intended to address the growing security risks associated with intelligent applications running directly on devices in the field, including robots, drones and industrial machinery.
Rome-based Exein says its technology is already deployed across more than two billion connected devices. Its Photon runtime security architecture operates at kernel level, designed to detect and block malicious execution before it can run. It can also operate in environments where connectivity is limited or unavailable.
Deutsche Telekom IoT provides connectivity through its own transatlantic network and more than 600 roaming and satellite partners, covering 228 countries and territories.
The partnership will therefore bring security closer to the device itself, rather than relying solely on protection delivered through the network or cloud.
“As IoT devices take on increasingly critical roles in business operations, connectivity and security need to go hand in hand,” said Christian Schwalbe, CEO of Deutsche Telekom IoT.
The companies are positioning the partnership partly around the emergence of so-called Physical AI, in which AI-enabled systems such as robots and autonomous machines can make decisions and act in the physical world.
That shift could increase the consequences of compromised devices, particularly where machines are operating autonomously or controlling industrial processes.
“For a long time, connectivity and security have often been treated as separate layers,” said Gianni Cuozzo, Founder and CEO of Exein. “By combining that with Deutsche Telekom IoT’s global connectivity, we are creating a secure ecosystem.”
The agreement follows Exein’s $270m funding round in September, which valued the company at $1.7bn. The round was led by Headline and included T.Capital, the strategic investment arm of Deutsche Telekom, alongside existing and new investors including Sofina, Goldman Sachs and the European Investment Bank Group.
The funding made Exein one of Europe’s most highly valued cybersecurity start-ups, according to the company.
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