Mastercard / Recorded Future 2024
Mastercard acquired Recorded Future for $2.6B on September 12, 2024.
- Target
- Recorded Future
- Acquirer
- Mastercard
- Deal value
- $2.6B
- Deal type
- Cash
- Announced
- September 12, 2024
- Sub-sector
- Regtech
Transaction overview
- Mastercard announced the acquisition of Recorded Future on September 12, 2024 for $2.65 billion in cash.
- Recorded Future is a threat intelligence company headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts.
- The company serves approximately 1,900 clients across 75 countries, including governments and enterprises.
- Recorded Future was majority-owned by Insight Partners prior to the deal.
- Mastercard cited expansion of its cybersecurity services portfolio as the primary rationale.
- Mastercard processes billions of transactions annually and has built a cybersecurity services unit alongside its payments network.
- The deal was expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approvals.
Why it matters
- At $2.65 billion, the deal ranks among the largest acquisitions of a pure-play threat intelligence vendor on record.
- The transaction signals that payments networks are expanding into cybersecurity services as a standalone revenue line, not just a defensive capability.
Strategic rationale
Mastercard buys threat intelligence platform from Insight Partners to anchor its cybersecurity and fraud prevention stack beyond identity verification.
Deal terms & multiples
About Recorded Future
Recorded Future is a threat intelligence company founded in 2009 and headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts. The company aggregates data from open web, dark web, and technical sources to produce intelligence used for identifying cyber threats, fraud, and geopolitical risk. Its client base spans roughly 1,900 organizations across 75 countries, including intelligence agencies, financial institutions, and large enterprises. Insight Partners held a majority stake in the company at the time of the acquisition.
- Founded
- 2009
- HQ
- United States
- Employees
- 1,000
- Prior funding
- Majority-owned by Insight Partners; total outside funding not publicly disclosed at a precise figure
- Key metric
- ~1,900 clients across 75 countries
About Mastercard NYSE: MA
Mastercard is a global payments network incorporated in 1966 and headquartered in Purchase, New York. The company operates payment processing infrastructure connecting merchants, financial institutions, and cardholders in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard has built a cybersecurity and intelligence services business, operating under its Mastercard Security Solutions umbrella, through a series of acquisitions over the past decade. The company reported net revenue of approximately $25.1 billion in fiscal year 2023.
- Founded
- 1966
- Ticker
- NYSE: MA
Frequently asked questions
How much did Mastercard pay for Recorded Future?
Mastercard agreed to pay $2.65 billion in cash. The deal was announced on September 12, 2024.
What does Recorded Future do?
Recorded Future provides threat intelligence by collecting and analyzing data from open, dark web, and technical sources. Its products help organizations identify cyber threats, fraud risk, and geopolitical exposure.
Why did Mastercard acquire Recorded Future?
Mastercard stated the acquisition would expand its cybersecurity services business. Recorded Future's intelligence capabilities complement Mastercard's existing fraud and security products.
Who owned Recorded Future before the acquisition?
Insight Partners held a majority stake in Recorded Future at the time of the deal.
How many customers does Recorded Future have?
Recorded Future serves approximately 1,900 clients across 75 countries, including government agencies and large enterprises.
When did the Mastercard and Recorded Future deal close?
The deal was expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals.
Sources
- paymentsdive.com /news/mastercard-recorded-future-acquisition-cybersecurity-banking-card-payments/726914/