Sarasota cybersecurity company lands NFL team as client - Business Observer

Sarasota cybersecurity company lands NFL team as client By Elizabeth King | 2:46 p.m. June 17, 2026 | 2 Free Articles Remaining! Photo by Wirestock MANATEE-SARASOTA Share A rapidly-growing Sarasota-based cybersecurity company has landed a new big-name client: the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. Tenex is now the team's official cybersecurity partner. “As someone who grew up in Kansas City, this partnership is personal,” Tenex CEO and founder Eric Foster says in a statement. “The Chiefs represent a standard of excellence that the entire city rallies around, and protecting that experience matters.” From broadcasts and digital experiences to stadium connectivity, Tenex will provide 24/7 cybersecurity protection across key systems that support the team’s operations, according to a statement, which says NFL organizations have become some of the most complex connected environments, requiring continuous protection across digital and operational systems. “Championship organizations succeed by staying ahead of the play, and that’s the same mindset we bring to cybersecurity,” Foster says. “Tenex is built to anticipate threats, move fast and keep critical operations running without interruption.”   Tenex was built from the ground up with artificial intelligence. Its flagship product is its managed detection and response service, which helps organizations detect and handle cyber threats through AI agents that escalate issues to humans when necessary. The company has more than 100 employees and plans to have close to 300 by the end of 2026. It operates offices in Overland Park, Kansas; San Jose; Phoenix; and Sarasota. Tenex says it is continuing to scale its operations in the Kansas City area by investing in local talent, customer support capabilities and an expanded office footprint. (Overland Park is a little more than 10 miles from Kansas City.) “We are extremely excited to partner with Tenex and deploy their cybersecurity solutions across our business,” Kansas City Chiefs Vice President of Information Technology Kevin Higgins says in the statement. “Tenex brings the right blend of innovation, speed and reliability to help us stay ahead of emerging threats, and we believe their AI‑driven approach strengthens our ability to protect all of the stakeholders who rely on our systems every day.” Landing the Chiefs as a client is the latest win for Tenex, which received a major boost from outside investors, raising $250 million in March and $27 million in September 2025. The company’s founder, Foster, was also named a 2026 Business Observer Top Entrepreneur Award winner in May. Sign Up for Daily Brief Start your day with the top Gulf Coast business news you need to succeed.   AUTHOR Elizabeth King Elizabeth is a business news reporter with the Business Observer, covering primarily Sarasota-Bradenton, in addition to other parts of the region. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, she previously covered hyperlocal news in Maryland for Patch for 12 years. Now she lives in Sarasota County. Latest News June 18, 2026 Centuries-old chocolatier opens in UTC mall June 18, 2026 $80M indoor sports multiplex moves ahead in Manatee County June 18, 2026 68-acre Lee County project adds tenants, including popular donut shop June 18, 2026 Tampa, St. Pete employees among 178 laid off with home health company closure June 18, 2026 Centuries-old chocolatier opens in UTC mall June 18, 2026 $80M indoor sports multiplex moves ahead in Manatee County June 18, 2026 68-acre Lee County project adds tenants, including popular donut shop June 18, 2026 Tampa, St. Pete employees among 178 laid off with home health company closure June 18, 2026 Centuries-old chocolatier opens in UTC mall June 18, 2026 $80M indoor sports multiplex moves ahead in Manatee County June 18, 2026 68-acre Lee County project adds tenants, including popular donut shop Sponsored Content × 2 Articles Remaining! Not a Subscriber? Click here to Subscribe Already a Subscriber? Click here to Login