ISMG Announces Majority Stake Acquisition in Xtra-Mile
Continued Growth in Israeli Cybersecurity Ecosystem
Princeton, NJ – June 7, 2022 – Information Security Media Group Corp. (ISMG) is pleased to announce the acquisition of a majority stake in Xtra-Mile — an Israel-headquartered, B2B lifecycle marketing company. The acquisition was executed through ISMG’s newly formed, wholly owned entity in Israel.
“Since our founding 16 years ago, ISMG has proudly served the cybersecurity ecosystem in Israel. This move enables us to realize our goal of having a major presence in every global cybersecurity hub and serve our clients with team members on the ground,” said Sanjay Kalra, CEO at ISMG. “The addition of Xtra-Mile’s capabilities will also support us in catering to the needs of the global cybersecurity community better. We are delighted with our first investment in Israel and welcome Xtra-Mile into the global ISMG family!”
Founded in 2007 by Erez Raz and Sharon Israel, Xtra-Mile provides 360-degree digital and media marketing solutions and advisory services to leading customers in hi-tech, cybersecurity, and IT domains across Israel, Europe, and the United States.
“The conclusion of this transaction is a landmark event in Xtra-Mile’s 16-year journey, and we are thoroughly excited by the synergies and tremendous opportunities for global expansion,” said Sharon Israel, co-CEO and founder at Xtra-Mile. “Given Israel’s strong position as a global cybersecurity hub, we feel this is a natural move for ISMG to invest in the country, and we welcome the commitment.”
“Product enhancements, efficient client delivery, and streamlining execution capabilities in a global environment are the essence of this partnership,” added Erez Raz, co-CEO and founder at Xtra-Mile. “This move further strengthens our desire and commitment toward providing bespoke marketing services to clients globally. We are a nation of entrepreneurs and innovators, and we found a similar spirit in this partnership with ISMG.”
Erez Raz and Sharon Israel will join the ISMG senior leadership team.
The acquisition will bolster the services offered through ISMG’s CyberTheory business unit — in marketing automation and mar-tech stack development — with a focus on emerging cybersecurity vendors who are just beginning their digital marketing journeys.
Concurrently, it also enhances Xtra-Mile’s ability to assist brands in breaking into global markets and offer enhanced messaging platform development and validation, persona targeting, and content development services to its clients by leveraging ISMG’s first-party intent data.
“ISMG has been serving numerous cybersecurity and IT companies in Israel for over a decade now — including through our CyberTheory business unit,” said Mike D’Agostino, general manager at ISMG. “We can now focus on nurturing and deepening those relationships in the market by being right there — entrenched in the community. With ISMG’s global footprint, this expansion in Israel is uniquely suited for ISMG and Xtra-Mile partnership. Both the entities embody a culture of growth with a strong commitment to the community that they are part of.”
Israel has a thriving cybersecurity ecosystem, and as of Q1 2022 data from Israel’s national cyber directorate, 33% of the world’s cybersecurity unicorns — companies with more than $1 billion valuation — are Israeli, including 11 new unicorns in 2021. Forty percent of private global investments in cybersecurity funding are in Israel, the study adds.
This is the second acquisition announced in the last two months by ISMG. The company also announced a majority stake acquisition in Grey Head Media in April 2022. This deal is a continuation of ISMG’s strategy to extend the firm’s leadership via a ‘build, grow, and acquire’ strategy, to consolidate a significant presence in every major cybersecurity hub worldwide.
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About ISMG
Information Security Media Group (ISMG) is a global education and intelligence company focused on cybersecurity. ISMG maintains the world’s largest network devoted solely to information security and risk management. Each of our thirty media properties provides education, research, and news, specifically tailored to key vertical sectors including banking, healthcare, and the public sector; geographies from North America to Southeast Asia; and topics such as data breach prevention, cyber risk assessment, and fraud. Our annual global summit series connects senior security professionals with industry thought leaders to find actionable solutions for pressing cybersecurity challenges.
About Xtra-Mile
Incorporated in 2007, Xtra-Mile is a B2B lifecycle-marketing agency that operates in Israel, Europe, the United States, and APAC. Xtra-Mile helps businesses increase customer lifetime value (CLV) while dramatically reducing customer acquisition cost (CAC). Xtra-Mile provides end-to-end marketing and employer branding solutions that drive results — from engaging new prospects with digital campaigns to create marketing qualified leads (MQLs), through account-based maximization of sales qualified leads (SQLs), to the retention and increased CLV for existing clients. As a lifecycle-marketing agency, the company also works closely with businesses in employer-branding and employee experience strategies that create their unique positioning as employers in the global markets.
About CyberTheory
CyberTheory is a full-service cybersecurity marketing advisory firm. CyberTheory constantly collects and analyzes the latest customer data segmented by security practitioner, industry, and region. Its extensive knowledge model allows personalized targeting of every cybersecurity buyer persona. With strategic insights from global education services, media providers, intelligence analysts, journalists, and executive leaders, CyberTheory is always adapting to the latest industry trends.