Here is the official global press release:

Kiteworks Makes Bold Moves Joining Forces With Two German Leaders in Its Space

Merging with DRACOON and ownCloud to underscore its commitment to the DACH market

San Mateo, Calif./Zurich, Switzerland, November 21, 2023 – Kiteworks, which delivers data privacy and compliance for sensitive content communications through customer-enabled Private Content Networks (PCN), announced today it entered into a definitive agreement to merge with DRACOON and ownCloud, two European leaders in secure and compliant file sharing and collaboration. This move significantly expands Kiteworks’ market commitment, accelerating its vision to deliver the most robust and easy-to-use platform for content security and compliance on a global scale.

The DRACOON and ownCloud mergers represent a pivotal milestone in Kiteworks’ dedication to enabling organizations to securely collaborate with customers, partners, and employees through secure file and email data exchange across a PCN. In the short term, DRACOON and ownCloud customers and partners have the opportunity to gain access to the expanded security and compliance capabilities of Kiteworks. Over time, the combined human and technological resources from the three companies will greatly advance data governance and controls for regulated industries in the DACH market by enabling them to realize zero-trust policy management for sensitive content communications on one platform. Further, the high level of commitment that DRACOON and ownCloud apply to the data privacy and sovereignty of their customer data is embraced by Kiteworks—from single-tenant hosting to key management and encryption that can be accessed only by the customer, giving total privacy to customer data.

“We are excited to welcome DRACOON and ownCloud into the growing Kiteworks family,” said Jonathan Yaron, Chairman and CEO at Kiteworks. “Our collective resources and expertise further strengthen our focus on championing data security and compliance through strategic deployment of Private Content Networks on a global scale. The three companies share a commitment to securing sensitive customer content without compromising user experience and productivity across sensitive content communication channels. Kiteworks’ commitment to data privacy remains strong with these mergers. As with DRACOON and ownCloud, Kiteworks has no ability to access customer keys or data and our core values of trust and privacy guide everything that we do.”

Through the mergers, DRACOON and ownCloud gain access to expanded resources and capabilities that will empower them to serve their customers and partners better. Kiteworks’ adherence to comprehensive certification and compliance standards, such as SOC 2 Type II, FedRAMP Authorized, ISO 27001, 27017, and 27018, Cyber Essentials Plus, and others, builds on compliance achievements by DRACOON and ownCloud that include local standards like BSI C5 Certification, IDW PS 951, IT Security Made in Germany (ITSMG), IT Security Made in the EU (TeleTrusT), and Software Hosted in Germany. This adherence to international and local security standards demonstrates an unwavering commitment to individual customer requirements by all three companies. In addition, the Kiteworks-enabled PCN and its audit log capabilities provide customers with the ability to demonstrate compliance with regulations. DRACOON and ownCloud customers will also have expanded options to benefit from enhanced protection of their sensitive and confidential data through Kiteworks’ single-tenant customer hosting model and its hardened appliance, which are widely regarded as the most secure in the industry. ownCloud’s open-source position will remain the same after the merger.

For Kiteworks, the two mergers give the company immediate access to DRACOON’s and ownCloud’s rapidly growing European customer bases, with key concentrations in the DACH market, that span numerous industry sectors. Recognizing the importance of having a local presence in the European market, Kiteworks plans further investments in on-the-ground teams and infrastructure to support local customers.

“Together with Kiteworks, we enhance our comprehensive and reliable data security solutions for our customers,” said Dr. Björn Momsen, Managing Director, DRACOON. Marc Schieder, Managing Director at DRACOON, concurred with Momsen, “Kiteworks' commitment to national and international security standards aligns perfectly with our focus and that of our customers. We are excited about the opportunities this union brings.”

“Kiteworks is the ideal partner to realize our long-term vision of providing real-time content sharing and collaboration at scale and deliver enterprise-grade solutions,” said Tobias Gerlinger, CEO and Managing Director at ownCloud. “We share an unwavering passion to enable organizations to seamlessly share and work on sensitive content regardless of device or location—while in compliance with regulations and data sovereignty requirements. The importance of ownCloud’s open source in the enterprise and public-sector markets is embraced by both organizations.”

To learn more about the Kiteworks-enabled Private Content Network, click here.

The shareholders of DRACOON were advised by Stephens (M&A), LUTZ|ABEL (Legal), and COUNSEL (Tax). Shareholders of ownCloud were advised by Freitag & Co. (M&A) and Pöllath + Partners (Legal). Kiteworks was advised by Taylor Wessing, Weksler Bregman & Co., and FISCHER (FBC & Co.) (Legal), AC CHRISTES & PARTNER (Financial & Tax), and Singular (Commercial).

About Kiteworks 

Kiteworks’ mission is to empower organizations to effectively manage risk in every send, share, receive, and save of sensitive content. The Kiteworks platform provides customers with a Private Content Network that delivers content governance, compliance, and protection. The platform unifies, tracks, controls, and secures sensitive content moving within, into, and out of their organization, significantly improving risk management and ensuring regulatory compliance on all sensitive content communications. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Kiteworks protects over 100 million end users for over 3,650 global enterprises and government agencies.

About DRACOON

DRACOON provides secure file sharing and collaboration services to over 500,000 users worldwide, including major companies across industries like transportation, finance, healthcare, and more. With industry-specific solutions and certifications like BSI C5, IDW PS 951, and ISO 27001, 27017, and 27018 that meet the highest security standards, DRACOON enables efficient and compliant file sharing, along with features like encrypted email and cloud drive integration. Trusted by Deutsche Bahn, Thyssenkrupp, Telekom, Helios Kliniken, and other leading organizations, DRACOON ensures people everywhere can collaborate securely and efficiently.

About ownCloud

ownCloud develops and provides open-source software for content collaboration, allowing teams to easily share and work on files seamlessly regardless of device or location. More than 200 million users worldwide use ownCloud as an alternative to public clouds—and thereby opt for more digital sovereignty, security, and data protection