Momentum Cyber Launches As Industry’s Premier Cybersecurity Advisory Firm

Momentum Partners and Dave DeWalt today announced the launch of a new advisory firm dedicated exclusively to the cybersecurity industry called Momentum Cyber. Cybersecurity veteran and luminary Dave DeWalt will serve as chairman while long-time technology M&A veterans Michael Tedesco and Eric McAlpine will serve as managing partners of Momentum Cyber. The founding team includes Directors Keith Skirbe and Dino Boukouris who were also founding team members at Momentum Partners. The new firm is headquartered in San Francisco and plans to expand the team in 2018 and beyond, including new offices in locations with concentrations of cybersecurity companies and talent.

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Momentum Cyber Founders: Michael Tedesco, Dave DeWalt, and Eric McAlpine (Photo: Business Wire)

Summary

• Mission. To be the ‘go to’ trusted advisor for cybersecurity CEOs, founders, boards, and investors providing bespoke high-impact advice combined with unique senior-level access.
• Lifecycle Advisory. A new and innovative advisory model specifically designed for the cybersecurity industry combining operational excellence, board room, corporate finance, strategy, exit planning, and M&A services throughout the life of a client – Incubation to Exit.
• Track Record. DeWalt, Tedesco, and McAlpine have an unrivaled track record as operators and advisors having orchestrated over 200 transactions for over $200 billion in total value as advisors and principals. DeWalt has also led over $20 billion in value to shareholders as either CEO, member of the board, and/or investor.

Momentum Cyber: A Shared Vision To Better Serve The Cybersecurity Ecosystem

Momentum Cyber is the completion of a vision that Tedesco and McAlpine conceived in 2015 when the duo formed Momentum Partners. In just two years, Momentum has emerged to become the ‘go to’ M&A advisor to companies large and small in the dynamic cybersecurity sector. This includes recent transactions such as ADT’s acquisition of DATASHIELD, Weblife’s sale to Proofpoint, and Cyphort’s sale to Juniper Networks. Earlier this year, Momentum’s team was selected by ADT, the leading physical security provider to businesses and residences, to help drive its inorganic cybersecurity strategy and execute through M&A, investments, and partnerships.

By joining forces with DeWalt – a managing director at AllegisCyber who sits on the board of directors of leading cybersecurity companies including Optiv, ForeScout, Phantom Cyber, ForgeRock, Claroty, Callsign, Illusive Networks, the two leading cyber start-up studios in Team8 and DataTribe, and Delta Airlines – the three founders and partners intend to leverage the team’s collective 70+ years in cybersecurity as operators and advisors to provide tailored advice and access to companies in the fastest growing sector within technology.

Cybersecurity has rapidly grown to become a $138 billion industry with over 3,000 companies around the world. Over the past five years, the cybersecurity market has exploded with strategic activity experiencing a nearly 300% growth in venture and later stage private equity investing and 350% growth in M&A deal volume, demanding the need for the industry's first trusted advisory firm exclusively dedicated to cybersecurity.

“The launch of Momentum Cyber is a monumental development for the cybersecurity industry, filling an unmet need for deep domain expertise combined with world-class strategic advisory and M&A experience, particularly for emerging growth companies,” said Dave DeWalt. “At Momentum Cyber, we will serve our clients as the premier firm singularly focused on providing the highest level of trusted advice to the ever-evolving cybersecurity ecosystem. I created this partnership with Michael and Eric specifically for their combination of industry depth, unrivalled M&A track record, and pensive forward-thinking.”

Tedesco and McAlpine bring over three decades of M&A experience advising clients in the cybersecurity industry and over four decades in total. Tedesco previously served as Citi’s Global Head of Technology M&A and Co-Head of North American Technology Investment Banking. He subsequently served as Jefferies’ Global Head of Technology M&A and Head of North American M&A. Tedesco is one of the top dealmakers of his generation, advising on many of the highest profile, transformative transactions in enterprise technology. McAlpine previously served as a managing director at Blackstone co-founding the firm’s Silicon Valley office where he led cybersecurity and internet investment banking for the firm. Tedesco and McAlpine were colleagues at Citi where McAlpine also led Citi’s cybersecurity coverage and deal activity, most notably advising Symantec on a series of M&A and capital markets transactions.

“The cybersecurity landscape is fragmented, complicated, and continues to evolve rapidly with our clients increasingly requiring more cyber savvy, tailored, trusted advice,” said managing partners Tedesco and McAlpine. “Momentum Cyber, with Dave as our chairman, is truly the completion of our vision to create the industry’s first dedicated cybersecurity advisory platform, bringing together industry leaders and top dealmakers.”

“Momentum has been serving as ADT’s cybersecurity strategic advisor this year as we look to expand our cybersecurity offering,” said ADT’s Chief Administrative Officer Dan Bresingham. “We researched a number of advisors to serve this CEO-driven initiative and the choice was clear given Momentum’s unrivalled industry knowledge and experience advising both emerging companies and large enterprises like ADT. We have developed a winning cyber strategy with Momentum and very quickly moved from drawing board to execution given their experience and access.”

Strong Cybersecurity Community Support

“The new partnership between Dave, Eric and Michael is extremely exciting as it will fill a significant gap by combining hands-on operational experience with advisory expertise, making Momentum Cyber massively differentiated throughout the cybersecurity industry,” said Jay Leek, managing director and co-founder of ClearSky Security and former chief information security officer at Blackstone.

Bob Ackerman, founder of AllegisCyber and long-time cybersecurity investor and operator added, “Dave’s experience and network as a visionary executive, hands-on board member, and investor is without peer in cybersecurity. Creating Momentum Cyber with Michael and Eric as the industry’s first purpose-built advisory firm will be a tremendous asset to our entire ecosystem.”

In addition to providing advisory services, Momentum Cyber produces insightful cybersecurity research and market reviews as well as the ubiquitous CYBERscape industry taxonomy. The firm’s founders are frequent media guests discussing the market and are highly sought out speakers at industry conferences and private events.

For more information please visit www.momentumcyber.com.

About Momentum Cyber

Momentum Cyber is the premier trusted advisor to the cybersecurity industry providing bespoke high-impact advice combined with tailored, senior-level access. The firm was founded by world-class operators and advisors and caters to the unique needs of both earlier stage Founders, CEOs, & Boards as well as the complexity of later stage & public companies throughout their lifecycle – Incubation to Exit. Headquartered in San Francisco with operations globally, the founding team has closed over 200 transactions totaling over $200 billion in value. Momentum Cybersecurity Group, LLC conducts its M&A advisory services as an M&A Broker as defined by the SEC.

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