How much funding has Searchlight Cyber raised?

Searchlight Cyber has raised $100M in total funding. Their latest funding round was Venture Round. Key investors include Charlesbank Capital Partners.

Where is Searchlight Cyber headquartered?

Searchlight Cyber is headquartered in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. The company has a team of 51-100 people.

What does Searchlight Cyber do?

Searchlight Cyber operates in the AI in Cybersecurity sector. Searchlight Cyber provides a dark web intelligence platform to help organizations proactively identify and prevent cyberattacks before they happen. To provide actionable, pre-attack intelligence from the dark web, enabling organizations to get ahead of threats by illuminating their external attack surface and monitoring criminal activity.

When was Searchlight Cyber founded?

Searchlight Cyber was founded in 2017. It is based in Portsmouth, United Kingdom.

How much funding has Searchlight Cyber raised?

Searchlight Cyber has raised $100M in total funding. Key investors include Charlesbank Capital Partners.

Who is the CEO of Searchlight Cyber?

Michael Gianarakis is the CEO of Searchlight Cyber. The company was founded in 2017.

Where is Searchlight Cyber located?

Searchlight Cyber is headquartered in Portsmouth, United Kingdom.

What funding stage is Searchlight Cyber at?

Searchlight Cyber is currently at the Growth Stage stage.

How many employees does Searchlight Cyber have?

Searchlight Cyber has approximately 51-100 employees.

Searchlight Cyber

Category: AI in Cybersecurity

Searchlight Cyber provides a dark web intelligence platform to help organizations proactively identify and prevent cyberattacks before they happen. Searchlight Cyber was founded in 2017. The company is led by Michael Gianarakis. Based in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. Team size: 51-100. Total funding raised: $100M. Latest round: Venture Round. Key investors include Charlesbank Capital Partners.

Founded: 2017
Headquarters: Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Team size: 51-100
Total funding: $100M

Value proposition

To provide actionable, pre-attack intelligence from the dark web, enabling organizations to get ahead of threats by illuminating their external attack surface and monitoring criminal activity.

Products and solutions

Cerberus Investigation Platform: A platform to search and investigate threats on the dark web using a comprehensive dataset., DarkIQ: An automated solution for monitoring the dark web for threats, risks, and leaked data specific to an organization., Attack Surface Management: Provides visibility into an organization's external assets to identify potential vulnerabilities., Digital Risk Protection (DRP): Protects against external threats like brand impersonation and data leakage., AI-Powered Threat Summaries: Uses AI agents to automatically generate summaries of threat actors.

Unique value

Searchlight Cyber's uniqueness lies in its deep focus on the dark web, built upon the co-founder's academic research into Tor. They provide a proactive, pre-emptive approach to security by monitoring the dark web for early indicators of an attack, rather than reacting to threats after the fact. They claim to have one of the most comprehensive, continuously updated datasets from the dark web, including forums, marketplaces, and hidden services.

Target customer

Enterprise cybersecurity professionals, Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), government agencies, and law enforcement.

Industries served

Government, Law Enforcement, Cybersecurity (MSSPs), Enterprises (across various sectors including finance, critical infrastructure, and technology)

Technology advantage

Their key advantage is a unified platform that combines Dark Web Intelligence, Attack Surface Management (ASM), and Digital Risk Protection (DRP). This provides a holistic view of external threats. The technology is built on a massive, proprietary dataset collected from the deep and dark web, which is difficult to replicate. Their business advantage is strengthened by a channel-focused strategy, enabling MSSPs to easily integrate dark web intelligence into their offerings.

How they differentiate

Searchlight Cyber differentiates itself by focusing on providing actionable intelligence from the dark web to proactively prevent cyberattacks. Their proprietary technology allows them to gather and analyze data from the deepest, most hidden parts of the dark web, including TOR, I2P, and Zeronet, providing a comprehensive view of the threat landscape. They emphasize providing high-signal, low-noise intelligence to help security teams stay ahead of threats.

Main competitors

DarkOwl, Cyber Sixgill, Recorded Future

Key partnerships

Charlesbank Capital Partners (Investor), Eterna Growth Partners (Investor), TRM Labs (Technology partner for cryptocurrency analysis), DigitalXRAID (MSSP Partner), e2e-assure (MSSP Partner), Semkel (Cybersecurity Partner), Assetnote (Acquired Jan 2025 - ASM technology), Intangic (Acquired Oct 2025 - Cyber risk quantification), Close collaboration with various government and law enforcement agencies worldwide for product development and operations.

Notable customers

While specific customer names are not disclosed, Searchlight Cyber serves a range of clients including enterprise cybersecurity professionals, managed security service providers (MSSPs), and government and law enforcement agencies.

Major milestones

Secured a strategic growth investment of $100M from Charlesbank Capital Partners in January 2024., Expanded its international presence with the opening of a US headquarters in Washington D.C. in 2021., Acquired Assetnote, a Brisbane-based Attack Surface Management company, in January 2025., Acquired Intangic, a cyber risk management company, in October 2025., Appointed Michael Gianarakis as CEO in February 2026, with co-founder Ben Jones moving to Strategic Advisor., Launched AI-powered features including AI Agent-Generated Threat Actor Summaries and Ransomware File Explorer.

Growth metrics

While specific growth metrics are not public, the company is on a rapid growth trajectory, evidenced by its recent strategic funding and expansion into the US market.

Market positioning

Searchlight Cyber positions itself as a leader in dark web intelligence for enterprises and law enforcement agencies. They are considered a key player in the niche market of dark web monitoring and threat intelligence, serving a global client base with a focus on providing early warnings of potential cyberattacks.

Geographic focus

Searchlight Cyber has a strong presence in Europe and North America, with its headquarters in the UK and a US headquarters in Washington D.C. Their competitive focus is primarily on these regions, serving clients across various industries, including government and law enforcement.

Patents and IP

Specific patents are not publicly listed, but the company's intellectual property is rooted in its proprietary data collection methods and the ground-breaking academic research of its co-founder, Dr. Gareth Owenson, a leading expert on the Tor network.

About Michael Gianarakis

Co-founder and former CEO of Assetnote (acquired by Searchlight in Jan 2025), served as Searchlight's Chief Product Officer for a year before being promoted to CEO in Feb 2026. Widely regarded as a leading voice in Preemptive Threat Exposure Management (PTEM).

Official website: https://slcyber.io/