Following on from the massive Intel and McAfee deal, another deal involving a software antivirus company has been announced, albeit on a far smaller scale.

Czech software antivirus company Avast has been given a $100 million shot-in-the-arm following the purchase of a minority stake by equity investor Summit Partners. After being formed in 1991, the security company was once Alvil Software, but is now more memorably known as Avast, sharing its name with the security products it produces.

Unlike many other security software companies, Avast’s focus is on providing a quality free-of-charge security product for the everyday home user, as well as premium products that can be purchased alongside. Avast has always believed that it’s company will do its marketing for them; satisfied customers of the free product will recommend the premium safety product to their friends, family and colleagues. This ‘freemium’ strategy does appear to have worked, at least for Avast, with their product installed on one in five machines globally.

“For 26 years, Summit Partners has been investing in profitable, innovative leaders in the security software industry, and it is rare to find a company such as Avast that redefines how an industry does business. We are very excited about the growth prospects of this exceptional company,” says Han Sikkens, a Principal in Summit Partners’ London office.

Summit’s new investment in the Avast company will be hoped to improve growth and development at Avast, a company that have already proved to be good at thinking outside the box in providing their customers with a unique and safe computer experience through their products. Although not quite as lucrative as the recent deal with Intel and McAfee, this deal between Avast and Summit Partners demonstrates the room for growth that lies within the software antivirus market.

Guest Article by Neil Camp