Innovation Matrix Assessment
Two cybersecurity acquisitions in under a year (Olfeo in 2025, Chimere completing before March 2026) under a named strategic plan show real, sustained product-roadmap investment.
Olfeo's SSE and Chimere's ZTNA are being integrated into a unified SD-WAN/SASE offering customers can deploy on-premise or cloud, giving the combination immediate operational substance.
Back-to-back cybersecurity acquisitions (Olfeo, Chimere) executed within roughly a year under Ekinops' 'Bridge' strategic plan is a strong, publicly disclosed momentum signal.
Offering on-premise-capable SASE/ZTNA differentiates Ekinops from cloud-only SASE incumbents but builds on established SSE/ZTNA categories rather than creating a new one.
Olfeo and Chimere both have established regional customer bases, but neither has broad independent third-party efficacy validation at the scale of major SASE vendors.
SASE and Zero Trust consolidation is a top network-security buying priority, making Ekinops' newly assembled portfolio directly relevant to current enterprise network-security roadmaps.
Why CISOs Should Care
For network and security leaders evaluating SASE consolidation, Ekinops' 2025-2026 acquisitions of Olfeo (secure web/SSE) and Chimere (universal ZTNA) let it offer SD-WAN, SSE, and Zero Trust Network Access -- including on-premise deployment options -- from a single networking vendor.
What Makes It Different
Unlike pure-play SASE vendors that are cloud-only, Ekinops' networking heritage lets it offer on-premise deployment alongside cloud SSE/ZTNA, appealing to European customers with data-sovereignty or air-gapped requirements.
The Matrix Verdict
55/100 — INCREMENTAL INNOVATOR
A public French networking equipment vendor executing a coherent, multi-deal strategy (its 'Bridge' plan) to become a real SASE/network-cybersecurity player rather than opportunistically bolting on unrelated capability.
Editorial Note: Claims vs. Verified Findings
Ekinops' core business is telecom and networking equipment, with cybersecurity (SASE/SSE/ZTNA) as a newly built strategic growth segment via the Olfeo and Chimere acquisitions; this profile reflects that specific cyber-relevant business line, not Ekinops' broader networking product portfolio.