Cyber Security Startup

Horangi’s identity extended into the everyday lives of its employees through branded T-shirts, which quickly became a source of pride and camaraderie. Iconic designs included a sleek black tee and a heather gray version that boldly featured the company motto: Creating a Safer Cyber Space. As the office expanded, individual teams requested their own gear to foster a sense of belonging and recognition. Special edition shirts marked company milestones and celebrated achievements, such as securing critical certifications, turning everyday wear into a celebration of shared success.

At Horangi’s first company retreat outside Manila, team building took center stage with activities like the Idea Poker workshop. This dynamic session enabled employees to collaboratively generate and prioritize new product ideas. In this workshop, five teams generated a mix of serious and unconventional ideas, which were then collaboratively ranked based on feasibility and potential impact. Over two days, employees identified dozens of viable pathways for product features, laying the groundwork for innovative expansion in the year ahead.

To align product innovation with client needs, Horangi hosted Business Origami workshops for its newest clients. During these sessions, clients shared personal accounts of security incidents and broke their stories into key moments using visual aids. The process involves crafting illustrated timelines that highlight pain points and needs, which are then analyzed for actionable insights. These workshops uncovered crucial pain points and informed the development of multiple MVPs, eventually leading to a product suite closed aligned to client needs.

Horangi extended its innovation efforts through regional co-design workshops in Singapore, Jakarta, and Manila, ensuring all teams could contribute to product development. Participants identified key features to address client issues and collaborated with colleagues to refine their ideas. The workshops utilized a “swap” activity, allowing teams to build upon each other's concepts, turning rough ideas into well-rounded solutions and strengthening cross-regional collaboration.

Horangi’s first product MVP introduced a logged-in client experience that presented security monitoring results and alerts in a clear, narrative structure. As opposed to other products that offered intimidating dashboards, high-level findings were placed at the top, with more detailed insights revealed progressively as users scrolled down. This streamlined approach resonated strongly with clients, securing critical funding and solidifying Horangi’s position as an emerging leader in cybersecurity.

As Horangi’s offerings expanded to include penetration testing, security education, and more, a unified platform became essential to integrate the growing suite of products and services. Drawing on research from clients and internal teams, Horangi developed a concept for a cohesive product suite that simplified access and supported a subscription model. This approach standardized design and development, enabling rapid feature releases that attracted clients across APAC. The success of this unified product suite ultimately led to Horangi’s acquisition by Bitdefender, cementing its legacy in the cybersecurity landscape.

As Horangi continued to grow, its website was redesigned once again, drawing inspiration from the evolving product suite to shape a vibrant and bold new identity. High-contrast elements, gemstone-inspired color pops, and dynamic gradients, which had always been part of the visual system, were brought to the forefront to create a striking and modern aesthetic. This refreshed identity not only set Horangi products apart but also carried through the merger with Bitdefender, underscoring that cyber security can be as visually compelling as it is technically impressive.