// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Hoxhunt say to its date? You're a hunting good match.
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cybersecurity, SaaS |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Mika Aalto, Karri Kurunmäki, Pasi Salo, Pyry Åvist |
| Headquarters | Helsinki, Finland |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Mika Aalto (CEO) |
Number of employees | 200+ |
| Website | www.hoxhunt.com |
Hoxhunt is a B2B software as a service (SaaS) company that develops a cybersecurity training platform for phishing simulations and security awareness training through a gamified approach to human risk management.[1][2][3]
In 2025, it was listed in TIME World's Top EdTech Companies list.[4]
History
[edit]Hoxhunt was founded in 2016 in Helsinki, Finland by Mika Aalto, Karri Kurunmäki, Pasi Salo and Pyry Åvist.[1][5][6]
In 2017, the company secured seed funding from Icebreaker.vc with participation from First Fellow Partners, and in October 2018, Hoxhunt raised €2.5 million in a round led by Dawn Capital, with participation from Icebreaker.vc and Risto Siilasmaa's First Fellow Partners.[1][7] In May 2022, it raised $40 million in a Series B led by Level Equity Management, with participation from Icebreaker.vc.[8] In 2022, the company expanded its operations to North America.[5][9]
In 2023, Hoxhunt was listed in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Finland list with 469% growth for 2019–2022.[10]
In 2025, the company was listed in TIME World's Top EdTech Companies list.[4]
Products and services
[edit]The Hoxhunt platform delivers security awareness training through automated phishing simulations and individualized feedback.[5][11] The platform simulates scam emails that use titles, organizations, industry, language, and geographic location that are tailored to users' context and awards users points for identifying and reporting them.[1][12] The system adapts training content to employee behavior and emerging cybersecurity threats and attack methods to increase their realism.[13][14][15] Microsoft documentation lists Hoxhunt among third-party user-report tools integrated with Defender for Office 365, allowing end users to report suspicious messages directly through the platform. The company also conducts research and publishes reports on cybersecurity awareness and threat trends,[16][17] such as studies on the rise of QR code ("quishing") phishing campaigns and experiments comparing[18] AI-generated spear phishing with traditional phishing methods.[19]
Operations
[edit]Hoxhunt is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland and operates in the U.S. through Hoxhunt Inc., incorporated in Delaware with an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[20] As of August 2025, Hoxhunt has 200+ employees.[21]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "Finnish startup HoxHunt secures €2.5 million for its cybersecurity gamification platform". Tech.eu. 2018-10-16. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ↑ Lappalainen, Elina (2018-10-16). "Hoksasitko huijaussähköpostin? – "Jos työntekijä menee lankaan, kerromme sen heti ja opastamme"". Talouselämä (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ↑ Pietarila, Päivikki (2017-04-13). "Suomalainen startup opettaa yrityksille tietoturvaa pelin avulla – "suurin tietoturvauhka on omat työntekijät"". Tivi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- 1 2 Time Staff (2025). "World's Top EdTech Companies of 2025". Time. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- 1 2 3 Arghire, Ionut (2022-05-31). "Cybersecurity Training Firm Hoxhunt Raises $40 Million". SecurityWeek. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ↑ Savonen, Sonia (2020-12-08). "DI Mika Aallon liikeidea tyrmättiin, mutta siitä syntyi tietoturvaa pelillistävä startup, joka tekee nyt miljoonaliikevaihtoa". Tekniikka&Talous (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ↑ O'Hear, Steve (2020-04-27). "Finnish VC Icebreaker launches second fund to continue backing 'pre-founders' and pre-seed startups". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ↑ Kailio, Antti (2022-06-02). "38 miljoonan rahoituspotti suomalaiselle tietoturvastartupille – keskittyy huijaussähköposteihin". Tärkeimmät talousuutiset | Kauppalehti (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ↑ "Cyber training startup Hoxhunt raises $40 million". therecord.media. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ↑ "Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Finland 2023" (PDF). Deloitte. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ↑ Mudgal, Saurabh (2025-05-17). Managing the Cyber Risk: A CISO's practical guide to threat and vulnerability management (English ed.). BPB Publications. ISBN 978-93-6589-291-8.
- ↑ Griffin, Robert P.; Tatar, Unal; Yankson, Benjamin (2022-03-17). ICCWS 2022 17th International Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security. Academic Conferences and Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-914587-27-6.
- ↑ Bishop, Gulsebnem (2025-04-29). Cybersecurity Culture. CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-040-34524-5.
- ↑ Lappalainen, Elina (2017-11-01). "Mikko Hyppönen neuvonantajaksi tietoturva-startuppiin - HoxHunt on Risto Siilasmaan sijoituskohde". Talouselämä (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ↑ Jacob, Marc (2025-10-09). "Hoxhunt Launches Breakthrough Human Risk Management Platform". Global Security Mag Online. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ↑ Aristyo, Riyandy (2025-02-12). "Hati-Hati! Phishing di Gmail Makin Pintar, Jangan Klik Tautan yang Mencurigakan". Mashable Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ↑ "FBI shares advice on sophisticated Gmail phishing attacks". Newsweek. 2025-02-10. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ↑ "QR Code 'Quishing' Attacks on Execs Surge, Evading Email Security". Dark Reading. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ↑ Townsend, Kevin (2025-04-09). "AI Now Outsmarts Humans in Spear Phishing, Analysis Shows". SecurityWeek. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ↑ Ollila, Kauko (2024-10-16). "Suomalainen Hoxhunt auttaa tunnistamaan sähköpostin uhkia: "Huijauslaskun läpimeno voi olla katastrofi"". Mikrobitti (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ↑ Korhonen, Suvi (2025-08-08). "Hoxhuntin huima kasvu jatkuu – Odotettavissa liikevaihdon paisuminen lähes kaksinkertaiseksi". Tivi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-10-09.