The cybersecurity industry continues to experience significant activity through mergers and acquisitions. Recently, Palo Alto Networks completed the purchase of Expanse for $800 million. Now, FireEye has finalized an agreement to acquire Respond Software, a firm specializing in assisting organizations with the investigation and comprehension of security breaches, and lessening the reliance on highly skilled – and often hard-to-find – security professionals. The company confirmed that the acquisition process is now complete.

FireEye specifically targeted Respond’s Analyst product, intending to integrate it into their Mandiant Solutions platform. Consistent with current industry trends, FireEye is concentrating on leveraging machine learning to enhance its offerings and introduce automation to the process of analyzing data, identifying genuine threats, and minimizing inaccurate alerts. This acquisition provides them with a rapid expansion of software powered by machine learning.

FireEye anticipates that the acquired technology will accelerate the capabilities of its current tools. Kevin Mandia, CEO of FireEye, stated in a press release regarding the deal, “Leveraging Mandiant’s frontline experience, we possess a deep understanding of attack patterns, and Respond’s cloud-based machine learning effectively translates our expertise into quicker resolutions and enhanced protection for our customer base.”

Mike Armistead, CEO of Respond, shared in a blog post that the acquisition signifies the conclusion of a four-year endeavor for the startup, expressing confidence that they have joined a suitable organization within FireEye. “We are pleased to announce that, following extensive discussions, we are now integrated into the Mandiant Solutions portfolio, a division within FireEye,” Armistead noted.

Concurrently, FireEye announced a $400 million investment received from Blackstone Tactical Opportunities fund and ClearSky (a previous investor in Respond), providing the publicly traded company with additional capital to pursue further strategic initiatives, such as the acquisition announced today.

The investment involved a substantial financial commitment. “As outlined in the investment agreement, Blackstone and ClearSky will acquire $400 million worth of shares in a newly created 4.5% Series A Convertible Preferred Stock of FireEye (the ‘Series A Preferred’), priced at $1,000 per share. This Series A Preferred stock is convertible into FireEye common stock at a conversion price of $18.00 per share,” the company detailed in a statement. The company’s stock concluded trading today at $14.24.

Founded in 2016, Respond secured $32 million in funding, including a $12 million Series A round in 2017, spearheaded by CRV and Foundation Capital, and a subsequent $20 million Series B round led by ClearSky last year, as reported by Crunchbase data.