High-Profile Startup Refense Technologies Is Sold to Cary Firm

P4 Performance Management, a provider of outsourced solutions for a variety of Fortune 1000 clients, said Tuesday it had acquired Refense. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The four members of Refense' staff will be added to P4's team, increasing the employee headcount to 29, according to Tony Pompliano, chief executive officer and owner of P4.

Refense was a high-flying startup that had been seeking venture capital. The company was recently selected as FastTrac Tech Company of the Year by the Council for Entrepreneurial Development.

Refense has developed security technology for use within network infrastructure. Its Network Device Scanner works in both wired and wireless environments.

"Refense's technology is very narrowly focused and is very strong on network infrastructure," Pompliano said. "It's superior to anything we have seen in the marketplace."

Fabian Oliva, a co-founder of Refense, said the deal would enable Refense "to accelerate our innovation and market strategies."

Executives of the two firms met through their involvement in the CED.

"We bring good compliments to them, we have good momentum in the marketplace, and we have a good, strong management team here," said Pompliano, who founded P4 in 1998 in Cary. "We are stronger together than individually. We think we can in-bed their business and together we will have greater value."

Refense' security solution will be sold as a stand-alone product or in combination with P4's other technology outsourcing products, he added. Refense can also be sold through P4's existing channel partners.

"Our vision is that people will be able to buy Refense both ways - as a service from us or as software only," Pompliano said.

P4 has offices in New York City, San Jose and Los Angeles.