Cybersecurity startup SquareX launches out of stealth with $6M in funding led by Sequoia Capital to secure your online activities

In the current era of cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), professionals rely heavily on web browsers to carry out various online activities such as sending and receiving emails, creating and sharing documents, transferring files, streaming content, banking, and shopping.

This shift has made browsers the new “operating system,” making them a prime target for attackers. As a result, a new range of threats, including phishing, identity theft, session hijacking, and other browser-based attacks, has emerged. Now, one startup is on a mission to secure your online activities without compromising productivity.

Enter SquareX, a Singapore-based cybersecurity startup that’s building a browser-based cybersecurity product to keep consumers safe online.

Led by serial cybersecurity entrepreneur Vivek Ramachandran, SquareX launched out of stealth today with $6 million in a seed round led by Sequoia Capital Southeast Asia. The company will use the fresh capital infusion on R&D engineering and go-to-market.

Today, the current generation of cybersecurity products is inadequate in dealing with the new threats, as they were created during a time when file viruses, worms, and network attacks were the primary concerns. Moreover, these products frequently obstruct productivity by blocking access to files and resources that are not necessarily harmful, causing users to disable or remove them, ultimately increasing their vulnerability to attacks. In addition, due to the extensive and involuntary collection of personal data, the average internet user feels insecure when using the internet.

SquareX is taking on the challenge of addressing the current cybersecurity threats by designing a new product specifically for this purpose. Unlike existing products that were developed for a different era of threats, SquareX’s product is designed to keep users protected from the latest generation of online risks.

The product is integrated with the user’s browser as an extension, allowing it to monitor and safeguard their online activities. To achieve this, SquareX uses its cloud service, which enables users to open links and files within temporary browsers or “disposable container sandboxes.” These sandboxes are essentially headless browsers running in secure data centers on behalf of the user, preventing any potential web-based threats from ever reaching the user’s computer.

In addition to protecting against threats, SquareX also provides users with privacy and anonymity by keeping their identity safe. By leveraging its cloud-powered technology, SquareX is helping users feel safer and more secure online, without impacting their productivity or limiting their access to non-malicious files and resources.

“We are driven by our vision to create a digital world where users can embrace the full potential of the internet, unburdened by the ever-growing threats that lurk beneath the surface. We want to enable users to envision a digital landscape where users can confidently engage with the internet without the fear of threats and attacks or having their personal information exposed. By creating a seamless, browser-integrated cybersecurity solution, we are empowering consumers to be fearless online and take control of their own security on the internet. We believe that a safer internet experience is not only possible but essential, and SquareX is dedicated to making it a reality for everyone.” Vivek Ramachandran, Founder, SquareX.

Vivek is an expert in cybersecurity with a wealth of experience spanning over 20 years in the industry. Throughout his career, he has focused on developing security products and identifying vulnerabilities in various security systems. Vivek is also an entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience building wireless monitoring solutions, pen-testing gadgets, and cloud-based lab environments.

One of his most notable accomplishments was the successful founding and acquisition of Pentester Academy, a cybersecurity training startup based in the cloud. In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, Vivek is known for his groundbreaking research in offensive cybersecurity techniques and has authored several books and research papers. He is credited with discovering the notorious Caffe Latte Attack in 2008.

“I would highly recommend SquareX to anyone who prioritizes security, privacy, and ease of use. The platform has transformed my internet browsing experience and has become an essential part of my daily workflow.” Ben Poh, initial user of SquareX.

The online world is about to get a whole lot worse as the AI revolution gets channeled towards building malicious code. Every cyber security solution out there is only probabilistically successful in protecting internet users, which is not of much comfort if they get hacked and lose money. SquareX is the first solution we’ve seen that takes a 100% protection approach – where irrespective of how new and sophisticated the attack is, it has no chance to infect users. This is the future we think all internet users deserve.” Anandamoy Roychowdhary, Partner Surge, Sequoia Southeast Asia.

SquareX will be launching a beta version of their solution for a limited set of users beginning in May this year.