The co-founders of Twistlock, a Silicon Valley startup, announced Tuesday that they had raised a $51 million seed round to establish the headquarters for their new security company, Gutsy, in Baton Rouge.
Gutsy, launched in late 2022, currently employs 25 staff members in Tel Aviv, Israel; Portland, Oregon; and New York. The company specializes in helping large organizations manage complex security processes such as incident response and vulnerability management.
The company’s co-founders have Baton Rouge ties—Twistlock opened its Baton Rouge office in 2018, and Gutsy’s chief technology officer, John Morello, is an LSU graduate and Louisiana native.
Gutsy expects to create at least 10 direct new jobs in Louisiana over the next two years with an average annual salary of $150,000. It is actively recruiting for software development, product management and sales professionals.
The company is expected to participate in the state’s Quality Jobs program.
LED, Gov. John Bel Edwards, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and Mayor Sharon Weston Broome all released statements championing the move.
“Their decision to locate Gutsy here is a representation of our growing tech sector and highlights our talent pipeline for meaningful careers in computer science,” says Russell Richardson, BRAC’s senior vice president of business development.
Morello says in a prepared statement that the executive team chose to move the company to Baton Rouge because of the “talent and dedication” of local workers.
