Cybersecurity related deal flow?
January 08, 2021
by a searcher from Brigham Young University in Denver, CO, USA
I am working with my partner (also my brother) in launching a search fund this year. One of the industries we are focused on from my professional experience is cybersecurity. I was interested to see what other searchers have encountered who have been interested in the space space.
Thanks,
Bret
from Columbia University in New York, NY, USA
My partner and I are API software focused in our search. Cyber Security is in our top 15 categories (this is out of 92 different software categories). There is a ton of upside, and the next decade is going to rain money on this niche (I know, I am a software engineer, security policies [even at major corporations] are abysmal, high profile hacks will be a thing for a decade). Couple things to keep in mind, however:
- It's a small segment, and there may not be enough volume in the space for sourcing.
- The ones that have good tech (product) know it, and they will not sell at a search price (nor should they).
- The best opportunities will be on the "service" side. These are tougher businesses to value, but I would focus on secondary markets where wages are not as competitive. You can't run this kind of business (profitably) in NYC or SF. This is something where you need to have a good, underrated talent pool. I have a lot of thoughts on this, so happy to have a conversation offline.
Ultimately, I think it's an amazing niche, so I would never want to discourage your moves... that said, there is more nuance in this industry than almost any other.
from University of Southern California in North Palm Beach, FL, USA