Vobis Ventures Buys Optiv Consulting to Expand AI Security

Agentic AI , Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning , Next-Generation Technologies & Secure Development Vobis Ventures Buys Optiv Consulting to Expand AI Security 500-Person Team Will Help Vobis Blend AI, Data and Security Architecture Services Michael Novinson (MichaelNovinson) • June 3, 2026     Credit Eligible Get Permission Kevin Lynch, CEO, Optiv, and Anup Kumar, CEO, Optiv Consulting (Images: Optiv and Optiv Consulting) Vobis Ventures bought Optiv's 500-person consulting business to combine artificial intelligence implementation expertise with deep cybersecurity architecture capabilities. See Also: AI Agents Introduce a New Insider Threat Model The Fort Myers, Florida-area technology investment firm said Denver-based Optiv Consulting already has emerging capabilities in AI governance, vulnerability assessments for large language models and non-human identity security, said CEO Anup Kumar. He wants to combine AI architects, data architects and cybersecurity architects to help organizations implement AI securely from the beginning. "Our long-term goal is that we have the AI architects and data architects in the implementation business, we have the security architects in this business and together we bring the capabilities to be able to help enterprises implement agentic AI at scale," Kumar told ISMG. Optiv Consulting brings approximately 500 highly specialized cybersecurity consultants with expertise in security architecture, advisory services and engineering to Vobis Ventures, Kumar said, serving as the cornerstone for their security practice. Second, it provides access to roughly 800 enterprise clients, roughly 25% of which are from Fortune 500 organizations, according to Kumar (see: Why Modernizing Defenses for OT Networks, Operations Is Tough). What Made Optiv Consulting Appealing to Vobis Ventures Enterprises have largely focused on deploying AI to drive productivity and automation but haven't adequately addressed questions around runtime governance, agent behavior, observability, risk management and accountability, Kumar said. He said organizations must understand how AI agents make decisions, how they interact with other systems and how to prevent unintended behaviors. "There's a big gap between the AI adoption and AI governance, and we see an opportunity there to help clients achieve that," Kumar said. Organizations implementing agentic AI will require sophisticated architectural guidance to manage autonomous systems that make decisions, interact with applications and execute tasks without direct human involvement, Kumar said. Future security programs must shift from static controls toward governance models that continuously monitor and respond to AI-driven behaviors, Kumar said. "Their superpower seems to be the very deep security architecture capabilities and the forward-deployed engineering capabilities that they have," Kumar said. While AI governance is still a relatively small portion of Optiv Consulting's revenue today, Kumar said the company is already working with clients on vulnerability assessments involving LLMs and programs focused on securing AI agents and non-human identities. He said the previous ownership structures limited the pace of investment because consulting was only one component of a broader portfolio. "We will increase the effort many fold and invest behind that, which was a little bit difficult to do earlier on because Optiv's parent organization had several different practices," he said. "For us, it would be the only business that we would be purchasing and running, and so now we have the ability to unlock that value and really put fuel behind the AI center of excellence and capabilities these guys have." What Selling Consulting Business Means for Optiv While consulting remains an important component of Optiv's ability to serve clients, CEO Kevin Lynch told ISMG it generated lower returns than other areas of the business, particularly managed services and technology-related offerings. Optiv concluded that shareholder value could be enhanced by selling the consulting business while simultaneously preserving access to its capabilities through a partnership. "When we looked at our consulting business, it was a necessary part of our ability to serve clients, but economically, it wasn't generating the returns commensurate with the rest of the portfolio," Lynch told ISMG. Consulting remains fundamentally labor-intensive, Lynch said, with project-based engagements often involving significant overhead related to sales, solution design, project management and resource allocation. In contrast, Lynch said Optiv's managed services and technology-driven businesses often provide stronger scalability and recurring revenue characteristics, which informed the divestment. "We wanted a firm that not only had the balance sheet to invest in the business, but would take our capabilities from where they are today and continue a progression of enhancing what we do," Lynch said. "We wanted a place that was great for our folks. We also wanted a place where we could have access to all of their capability." Optiv never intended to abandon consulting capabilities, and Lynch said the partnership with Vobis Ventures will help Optiv's sales and account teams continue introducing consulting services to clients. Existing relationships remain intact, and Lynch said clients retain access to the same expertise while benefiting from additional investment being made under the new ownership structure. "Not only do we carve out and transact and hand over the business, we don't lose a single thing in terms of access to that capability," Lynch said. "That is, as they say in baseball, a home run. It's a win-win for everybody."