EmpireCyber Group, Black Mountain Strategies form alliance for cybersecurity rollups

EmpireCyber Group and Black Mountain Strategies announced a strategic alliance on Aug. 13, 2026, to build Kairo Venture Group, a platform aimed at acquiring and scaling cybersecurity firms and managed service providers. The companies say the effort is designed to expand into federal, defense and Latin American markets while preparing a portfolio for long-term growth and eventual IPO readiness.

Why it matters: - The alliance is aimed at consolidating a fragmented lower-middle-market cybersecurity and MSP sector. - The new platform is designed to help acquired firms add operational scale, pursue government work and improve capital efficiency. - The companies are targeting institutional investors, private equity sponsors and sellers looking for a growth platform.

What happened: - EmpireCyber Group announced a strategic alliance with Black Mountain Strategies on Aug. 13, 2026. - The combined effort creates Kairo Venture Group, described as an institutional-grade vehicle to acquire and scale high-value cybersecurity and managed service providers. - EmpireCyber Group focuses on aggregating boutique cybersecurity, MSP and IT consulting companies. - Black Mountain Strategies focuses on commercial and federal business development, defense-focused consulting and Latin America business development.

The details: - Kairo Venture Group is built to acquire high-performing technology and cybersecurity firms and MSPs. - The platform plans to embed operational leadership into acquired companies to help them scale faster. - The alliance is actively raising and deploying capital into strategic acquisitions. - The investment approach favors healthy, growth-ready MSPs and cybersecurity firms with recurring revenue and unused capacity. - EmpireCyber Group plans to apply its execution frameworks inside portfolio companies. - Those frameworks are intended to restructure service delivery, improve utilization rates and strengthen human capital strategies. - Black Mountain Strategies will contribute business development expertise across Department of War, aerospace and federal procurement channels. - The alliance says that access should help portfolio companies move beyond single-market models into higher-margin, multi-domain segments. - Kairo Venture Group will also operate as a venture studio. - The venture studio will incubate and scale proprietary AI, cybersecurity and MSP automation tools. - The platform expects to commercialize intellectual property and improve product-market fit through portfolio deployment. - The alliance also frames the combined platform as a unified security ecosystem with long-term growth potential. - The companies laid out a three-phase expansion roadmap. - Phase I focuses on domestic consolidation of U.S.-based MSPs and defense-adjacent cyber consultancies. - Phase II targets South American expansion, including LATAM markets and nearshoring opportunities. - Phase III calls for global integration and IPO readiness.

Between the lines: - The deal reflects a broader private-market strategy: buy niche technical businesses, add operating discipline, and use federal contracting exposure to raise valuations. - The emphasis on government procurement and LATAM expansion suggests the platform wants revenue diversity beyond standard commercial managed services. - The IPO language signals that the alliance is pitching itself as more than a holding company; it is aiming for institutional scale. - Josh Kainth, founder and CEO of EmpireCyber Group, said the partnership is meant to turn mid-market operators into institutional giants. - Charles Hatley, co-founder of Black Mountain Strategies, said the partnership should help the companies acquire, develop and scale dozens of companies.

What's next: - Kairo Venture Group will continue raising capital for acquisitions. - The alliance plans to identify and buy additional MSPs and cybersecurity firms. - The platform intends to expand into South America after building its U.S. base. - The companies are working toward a centralized corporate structure that could support a public-market debut. - More information is available at EmpireCyber Group and Black Mountain Strategies.