Scaling a cybersecurity player in a growing market - Patrick Kane talks about the Apax Digital Funds’ investment in IANS

IANS is an end-to-end information services platform for the InfoSec industry, with solutions spanning data, research, and tech-enabled services. The business focuses exclusively on cybersecurity and the needs of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and their teams. IANS’ offering is powered by a distinguished group of cybersecurity practitioners with ‘lived in’ operating experience, who provide impartial and vendor agnostic advice.

At Apax Digital, we have deep experience in the InfoSec sector and with information services businesses more broadly. We had been tracking IANS for some time and understood the scale of the cybersecurity challenges facing enterprises today, as well as the lack of available independent resources to help CISOs confidently confront those challenges. In a noisy market landscape that is flooded with vendor-aligned content, IANS’ independent, practitioner-led model stood out. When we saw the strong word-of-mouth customer growth and high customer satisfaction, we knew it was a special company, and it’s led by a great team.

Cybersecurity attacks are increasing in both frequency and complexity, regulatory standards are continuously evolving, and CISOs are facing a growing set of responsibilities amidst a shortage of cybersecurity talent. This “perfect storm” creates a clear need for an information services solution that can help enterprises navigate challenges, improve their cybersecurity postures, and up-skill their infrastructure and teams. IANS’ comprehensive, practitioner-led model is uniquely positioned to meet this market need.

Over the course of the investment, we plan to support the business in scaling its operations to meet the growing demands of its customers and the broader market. As part of this, we will work closely with Apax’s Operational Excellence Practice team to accelerate product development, expand IANS’ value proposition, and scale its go-to-market efforts, both domestically and abroad. We look forward to partnering with CEO and founder, Phil Gardner, and the rest of the team at IANS to accelerate growth and execute on our joint vision for the company.