Checkmarx
Israeli application-security company founded in 2006 in Ramat Gan by Maty Siman, a veteran of the IDF computer units Mamram and Matzov and a former adviser in the Prime Minister's Office; owned since 2020 by Hellman & Friedman
| Checkmarx
| |
|---|---|
| Logo |  Checkmarx logo |
| Type | Private company (controlled by Hellman & Friedman) |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Founder(s) | Maty Siman; Emmanuel Benzaquen is also listed as a founder by the company |
| Headquarters | Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Industry | Cyber security |
| Services | Source-code analysis and application-security testing |
| Homepage | checkmarx.com |
Checkmarx is an Israeli application-security company that sells tools to find security flaws in software source code.[1] It was founded in 2006 by Maty Siman, who served in the Israel Defense Forces computer unit Mamram and its information-security unit Matzov, and then advised the Prime Minister's Office for two years.[2] The US private equity firm Hellman & Friedman bought control in 2020 at a valuation of $1.15 billion.[3]
History
Globes reported in 2020 that Checkmarx "was founded in 2006 and led since by CEO Emmanuel Benzaquen and Maty Siman, CTO" (Emmanuel Benzaquen), with more than 700 staff, about half of them in Israel, and its headquarters and development centre in Ramat Gan.[3] The company's leadership page lists both Benzaquen and Siman as founders; its current chief executive is Sandeep Johri.[4]
Ownership
In 2015 the private equity firm Insight Partners bought the company: TechCrunch put its investment at $84 million, while Globes said Insight had invested $85 million and bought the company at a valuation of $120 million, ending up with a 70% stake.[1][3] On 16 March 2020 Hellman & Friedman agreed to buy control from Insight in a cash deal at a valuation of $1.15 billion, with Insight keeping "a substantial minority interest".[3][5] Partners of Hellman & Friedman and Insight Partners sit on the board, and the company lists TPG and Salesforce among its investors.[4]
Founders and military service
- Maty Siman, founder and chief technology officer. He told SecurityWeek in 2012: "upon enrollment in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), I was placed in 'Mamram' – the military's computer unit", where he became an instructor, and "Following that position, I was stationed at 'Matzov' – the ITSEC unit of the IDF. I stayed there for five years developing solutions for network and application security" (Mamram; Matzov). He added: "Right before completing duty, I received a call from the Prime Minister's (PM) office asking if I could be an advisor there for two years", after which, in February 2006, he left to found Checkmarx (Prime Minister's Office). He said that "At both the IDF and at the PM office, I was wearing a customer hat".[2]
See also
- Mamram
- Israel Defense Forces
- Cyber and tech firms founded by ex Unit 8200 or occupation forces veterans
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ron Miller and Zack Whittaker, Insight Partners sells security firm Checkmarx to Hellman & Friedman for $1.15B TechCrunch, 16 March 2020, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Noa Bar-Yosef, Security Startups: In Focus With CheckMarx Founder Maty Siman SecurityWeek, 20 November 2012, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Yasmin Yablonko, Hellman & Friedman buys Israel's Checkmarx at $1.15b valuation Globes, 16 March 2020, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Checkmarx, Leadership Checkmarx, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ Hellman & Friedman, Hellman & Friedman to Acquire Cybersecurity Leader Checkmarx at a $1.15B Valuation Hellman & Friedman, 16 March 2020, accessed 10 November 2026.