SA tech whizz Peter Bauer ‘reboots’ from Mimecast to eco and social justice

Mimecast, a company started by two South Africans is a global leader in cybersecurity specialising in advanced email and collaboration security. After trading on Nasdaq for six years, the company decided to go private in November 2015 in a $5.8 billion deal with Permira. In an interview with Biznews, co-founder and former CEO Peter Bauer shared his journey from being a school leaver who opted not to attend university to starting his first business with 'oceans behind the ears’. Bauer explained how he was “hell-bent on getting into tech” in the early 90s. He recounted how his first company, which he sold to Idion, built the first news factory for what later became News24.
After the sale, Bauer moved to London where he met fellow South African techie Neil Murray and started Mimecast. According to Bauer, “he fell in love with the process of building a company.” Discussing his decision to step down as Mimecast’s CEO, Bauer emphasised that it was the right time to hand over the reins, with the appointed CEO, Mark van Zadelhoff, being the ideal candidate. However, Bauer remains engaged by staying on the board. He also revealed his shift from technology to eco and social justice projects, expressing a desire to support entrepreneurs. Bayer shared that he bought a mountain in Cape Town “by accident.” Additionally, he offered valuable insights for new tech entrepreneurs and discussed the increasing challenges that generative AI will have in predominantly digital workplaces