Prolexic Technologies
- Founded
- 2003-01-01 in Hollywood, Florida, USA
- Headquarters
- Hollywood, Florida, USA (pre-acquisition); now part of Akamai (Cambridge, MA)
- info@prolexic.com
- Phone
- (954) 620-6002
Prolexic Technologies was a U.S.-based cybersecurity company that specialized in cloud-based distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack detection and mitigation. Founded in 2003 by internet infrastructure expert Barrett Lyon, the company built a global network of traffic scrubbing centers and a 24/7 security operations control center (SOCC). Its cloud platform diverted attack traffic, scrubbed malicious data, and forwarded legitimate requests, offering a cost-effective alternative to on-premise firewalls. Prolexic served a diverse client base including airlines, e-commerce, energy, financial services, and government, and was named one of the 100 Hottest Private Companies in North America by Red Herring in 2005. The company raised $51.9 million across three funding rounds before being acquired by Akamai Technologies in 2014 for approximately $370 million. Today, the Prolexic brand continues as Akamai’s enterprise DDoS protection solution, with a sixth-generation platform launched in 2023 offering 20 Tbps of dedicated mitigation capacity.
Detailed Review
History & Founding
Prolexic Technologies was founded in 2003 by Barrett Lyon in Hollywood, Florida. Lyon’s background in building and defending large-scale internet infrastructure led him to create a cloud-based DDoS mitigation service. The company’s early growth was documented in Joseph Menn’s book Fatal System Error.
Funding & Growth
Prolexic raised a total of $51.9 million across three funding rounds: Series A (2011, $13.9 million led by Kennet Partners), Series B (2012, $8 million led by Camden Partners and American Trading and Production Corp), and Series C (2013, $30 million led by Trident Capital and Intel Capital). The Series C round was advised by AGC Partners.
Acquisition by Akamai
In December 2013, Akamai Technologies announced a definitive agreement to acquire Prolexic for $370 million. The deal closed in February 2014. Post-acquisition, Prolexic became a wholly owned subsidiary of Akamai and its technology was integrated into the Akamai Intelligent Platform. Akamai continues to develop and market the Prolexic brand as its enterprise DDoS protection solution.
Product Evolution
Prolexic’s core offering is the Prolexic DDoS mitigation platform, a fully software-defined global cloud network that scrubs attack traffic in real time. Key features include always-on and on-demand protection for cloud, on-premises (powered by Corero), and hybrid environments; global scrubbing centers in the Americas, Europe, and Asia; 24/7 SOC monitoring and incident response; Layer 3/4 and Layer 7 attack mitigation; dedicated mitigation capacity of 20 Tbps (as of the sixth-generation launch in 2023); and integration with Akamai’s CDN and web application firewall (WAF) for comprehensive security.
Market Position & Legacy
Prolexic was widely recognized as a pioneer in cloud-based DDoS protection. Its acquisition by Akamai created a portfolio that protects enterprise Web and IP infrastructure against increasingly complex cyberattacks. The platform is used by Fortune 500 companies and governments worldwide.
Key Products
Akamai Prolexic (formerly Prolexic DDoS Mitigation Platform)
Cloud-based DDoS protection service that scrubs malicious traffic using a global network of scrubbing centers, available as always-on or on-demand.
Prolexic On-Prem
On-premises DDoS mitigation appliance option, powered by Corero, for hybrid deployments.
Prolexic Hybrid
Combination of cloud scrubbing and on-premise appliances for flexible defense.
24/7 Security Operations Control Center (SOCC)
Real-time monitoring and mitigation services staffed by security analysts.
Prolexic Scrubbing Centers
Global network of traffic scrubbing centers located in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.