Hook Security Closes Seed Round Led by TampaBay.Ventures
In May 2023, Hook Security closed a seed round led by returning investor TampaBay.Ventures, with participation from DeepWork Capital, Stout Street Capital and individual investors. The round funded Hook's work to keep up with fast-growing demand from channel partners and to keep improving the training platform. At the time, Hook was headquartered in South Carolina with significant operations in Florida.
The round was reported on May 17, 2023, by Hypepotamus and St. Pete Catalyst.
Who invested
- TampaBay.Ventures (lead). The Tampa-based firm first invested in Hook in August 2022, after meeting the team through the Tampa Bay Wave CyberTech|X Accelerator. When the firm first invested, general partner Andreas Calabrese called Hook's approach to fighting cybercrime through PsySec "the future of the industry."
- DeepWork Capital, based in Orlando.
- Stout Street Capital, based in Colorado.
- Individual investors.
"We believe that Hook Security's proprietary methods, including PsySec, represent the future of the industry," said Andreas Calabrese, general partner at TampaBay.Ventures.
Why Hook raised
Demand was outrunning the team. Hook had 21 people at the time of the raise, and interest from Hook's AWS partnership and its channel partners was growing faster than the team could serve it.
"The cybersecurity buyer is recognizing that no matter how many technology tools are used, every company, everywhere must begin to effectively train their employees," said Zach Eikenberry, CEO and co-founder of Hook Security.
"From our partnership with AWS in addition to our many channel partners, we were struggling to keep up as our segment of the cybersecurity landscape experiences outsized growth in spite of any macroeconomic challenges," Eikenberry told Hypepotamus.
"This investment will bolster our ability to really capture the inbound demand we are seeing," Eikenberry told St. Pete Catalyst.
What the funding supported
- Growing the team to keep pace with partner and inbound demand
- Refining the training platform and the content library
- Expanding the MSP partner program that now anchors Hook's go-to-market
Timeline: from accelerator to seed round
- January 2021: Hook joins the first Tampa Bay Wave CyberTech|X Accelerator cohort.
- August 2021: SCRA's SC Launch program makes a second $250,000 investment.
- August 2022: TampaBay.Ventures makes its first investment in Hook.
- September 2022: Hook wins Judges' Choice at the NEXT Venture Summit.
- May 2023: TampaBay.Ventures leads Hook's seed round.
Where it led
The seed round set up two of Hook's biggest moves since. In 2024 Hook launched deepfake awareness training with Breacher.ai and a ScalePad Lifecycle Insights integration for MSPs. In January 2025 Hook acquired Haekka, a Slack-first training platform, and released more than 100 new video training courses. In May 2026 Hook named Nick Wolf VP of Sales to double its MSP partner base.
Today Hook serves 500+ accounts and hundreds of MSP partners and trains more than 250,000 employees every month. See every milestone on Company News.
FAQ
Who led Hook Security's seed round?
TampaBay.Ventures led the round. It was a returning investor, having first invested in Hook in August 2022.
Who else invested?
DeepWork Capital, Stout Street Capital and individual investors participated, according to St. Pete Catalyst's May 17, 2023, report.
How did Hook meet TampaBay.Ventures?
Through the Tampa Bay Wave CyberTech|X Accelerator, which Hook joined as part of its first cohort in January 2021.
What was the funding used for?
Hook used the round to grow the team, meet inbound demand from channel and AWS partners, and keep improving the training platform and content library.
How big is Hook Security today?
Hook serves 500+ accounts and hundreds of MSP partners and trains more than 250,000 employees every month.
About Hook Security
Hook Security is a security awareness training and phishing simulation platform built for MSPs and SMBs. Its PsySec methodology uses psychology and humor to create real behavior change. Media resources are in the Hook press kit.
Training courses on this topic
From Hook Security’s security awareness training library.
- VariesWelcome to Hook Security - Introduction to PhishingIn this course, learners will be introduced to Hook Security, learn what to expect with cybersecurity training, and understand what Phishing is and why phishing awareness is important. It's a great option for new hire training.
- 30 minWilderness Jack: Concrete JungleGet ready to trade pine trees for office plants! Wilderness Jack is back, and this time, he's venturing into the wildest terrain of all: corporate life. From phishing emails to deepfake scams, Jack tackles modern cybersecurity threats with his signature mix of grit, humor, and heart.
- 22 minAnnual Training with Wilderness JackAnnual Training with Wilderness Jack - Security awareness training featuring outdoor survival analogies for cybersecurity concepts.
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