Adapt Forward
Adapt Forward is a Veteran-Owned Small Business that delivers integrated cybersecurity services — defensive and offensive operations, risk and compliance, cloud infrastructure, and custom technical innovation — to the U.S. Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and select federal agencies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersNorth Charleston, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Adapt Forward does
Adapt Forward is a Veteran-Owned Small Business founded in 2014 by former U.S. Army officer Rich Bowman, headquartered in North Charleston, South Carolina. The firm delivers integrated cybersecurity services to the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and select federal agencies, organized across five service lines: Defensive Security (incident response, insider threat, threat intelligence, network monitoring), Offensive Security (adversarial simulation, penetration testing, custom tool development), Risk & Compliance (NIST RMF, Zero Trust, CJCSM 6510.01B/DoDI 8530.01 reporting), Cloud & Hybrid Infrastructure (AWS GovCloud, Azure IL4/5/6, DISA PA-compliant DevSecOps supporting 5,000+ VMs and 10PB of storage), and Technical Innovation (custom SIEM, operationalized MITRE ATT&CK, cloud data detection, AI/ML-enabled threat detection).
Underlying capabilities include proprietary custom SIEM development, cloud-native detection content for SaaS/IaaS/PaaS telemetry, AI/ML anomaly detection pipelines, and mission-tailored offensive tooling — all delivered as embedded CSSP operations and red team services rather than as standalone commercial products. The company maintains a 100% CSWF-certified workforce and holds a DCAA-approved accounting system, multiple Superior DCSA vulnerability assessment ratings, and the 2024 James S. Cogswell Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement Award.
Revenue is generated exclusively through government professional services contracts awarded via competitive bidding on vehicles including Seaport NG (as Prime), DLA JETS 2.0, OASIS+, and the $151 billion Missile Defense Agency SHIELD contract for the Golden Dome initiative. Customer concentration is entirely federal/defense, with documented relationships spanning DoD agencies, MDA, the Intelligence Community, and the Department of War. The firm operates from South Carolina with additional customer-site presence in Texas, Hawaii, and Germany.
Adapt Forward firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Adapt Forward
- Legal name
- Adapt Forward, LLC
- Website
- https://adaptforward.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Adapt Forward is a Veteran-Owned Small Business that delivers integrated cybersecurity services — defensive and offensive operations, risk and compliance, cloud infrastructure, and custom technical innovation — to the U.S. Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and select federal agencies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Adapt Forward industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Federal Cybersecurity Services
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Data Security & Privacy Managed Services (DLP/Encryption) (BPAEADAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cybersecurity & Identity Consulting (BPAHAEAG)
Keywords
Where Adapt Forward is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- North Charleston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Adapt Forward business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Government Professional Services: Professional services revenue from Department of Defense and federal agency contracts. Services include CSSP operations, cyber red team services, custom tool development, and technical consulting. Revenue generated through competitive bidding on government contract vehicles and task orders.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Adapt Forward product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Adapt Forward delivers five integrated cybersecurity service lines—Defensive Security, Offensive Security, Risk & Compliance, Cloud & Hybrid Infrastructure, and Technical Innovation—serving the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and federal agencies. Core work includes Cybersecurity Service Provider (CSSP) operations, cyber red team services, custom tool development (including custom SIEM, MITRE ATT&CK operationalization, and AI/ML-enabled threat detection), and support for AWS GovCloud and Azure IL4/5/6 cloud environments. The firm is a Veteran-Owned Small Business competing for task orders through federal contract vehicles.
Product overview
Adapt Forward is a veteran-owned cybersecurity firm offering a portfolio of five integrated service lines: Defensive Security Solutions, Offensive Security Solutions, Risk & Compliance Services, Cloud & Hybrid Infrastructure Support, and Technical Innovation. The company provides Cybersecurity Service Provider (CSSP) operations, cyber red team services, and custom tool development primarily for Department of Defense and federal agencies. Technical Innovation serves as an internal capability engine, delivering custom SIEM solutions, MITRE ATT&CK operationalization, and AI/ML-enabled threat detection that enhance the service offerings across the other four domains. The company does not offer standalone software products but rather integrates these capabilities into client mission environments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Defensive Security Solutions Comprehensive defensive cyber solutions including incident response, insider threat mitigation, cyber threat intelligence, network security monitoring, vulnerability management, and purple team operations for federal and defense customers.
- Offensive Security Solutions Adversarial simulation, penetration testing, and custom offensive tool development identifying and addressing vulnerabilities before adversaries can exploit them, for federal and defense customers.
- Risk & Compliance Services NIST RMF compliance, continuous monitoring, zero trust architecture implementations, CJCSM 6510.01B and DoDI 8530.01 reporting, cybersecurity program reviews, and continuity of operations support for federal agencies.
- Cloud & Hybrid Infrastructure Support AWS GovCloud and Azure IL4/5/6 cloud support, DISA PA-compliant DevSecOps and CI/CD pipelines, self-service portal development, and hybrid data center operations supporting 5,000+ VMs and 10PB storage.
- Technical Innovation Custom SIEM development, operationalized MITRE ATT&CK framework, cloud data services detection and monitoring, and AI/ML-enabled threat detection and custom toolsets delivered as internal capability to enhance the other service lines.
Quantifiable outcome
- 855% three-year growth rate (2020)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Adapt Forward
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Adapt Forward technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature4 records
Adapt Forward partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Brown & BrownsupportingBenefits provider for Adapt Forward employees offering Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits through Brown & Brown. Options vary by state/region and are administered through Employee Navigator platform.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Adapt Forward competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SAIC: Large federal IT services and solutions integrator serving DoD, IC, and civilian agencies. Competes across OASIS+, Seaport NG, and DLA JETS for cyber, cloud, and mission support task orders analogous to Adapt Forward's portfolio.
- ManTech International: Large public defense IT and cybersecurity services prime with deep DoD/IC customer overlap. Provides CSSP, red team, and cyber operations support across similar agency customers; much broader portfolio and scale than Adapt Forward.
- Leidos: Major defense IT and cyber services prime with extensive DoD footprint including missile defense programs. Directly competes for SHIELD and similar large IDIQ awards and operates at substantially greater scale.
- Akima: Federal services holding company with multiple subsidiaries serving DoD, IC, and civilian agencies across IT, cyber, logistics, and operations. Operates cleared-facility infrastructure and competes for similar contract vehicles and task orders.
- CACI International: Federal IT and cyber services prime with strong DoD/intelligence customer overlap. Provides offensive and defensive cyber, RMF, and cleared talent solutions to similar agency customers under overlapping contract vehicles.
- Booz Allen Hamilton: Premier federal cyber and intelligence consulting prime serving DoD and IC. Competes on similar task orders across Seaport NG and OASIS+ and represents the larger-scale incumbent against which Adapt Forward must differentiate on agility and credentials.
Direct peers
- CyberProof: Managed detection and response and cyber operations provider that acquired Interpres Security (founded by Adapt Forward co-founder Michael Jenks) in 2024. Operates MSSP-style services for enterprises and government, directly competing for similar cyber operations engagements.
- Boecore: Veteran-owned defense software and cyber services firm headquartered in Colorado Springs. Comparable size and DoD customer base, focused on missile defense, space, and cyber operations—directly competing for SHIELD-related task orders.
- Applied Insight: Mid-tier cleared IT and cyber services provider to DoD and IC customers, focused on cloud, analytics, and mission systems. Acquired by Booz Allen in 2022, illustrating the typical exit pathway for firms at Adapt Forward's stage.
- IntelliBridge: Mid-tier federal IT and cyber services firm serving DoD and IC. Provides cleared cyber, intelligence, and digital transformation services under similar contract vehicles, comparable in scale and customer mix to Adapt Forward.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Adapt Forward social profiles
Digital presenceAdapt Forward financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Adapt Forward leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Adapt Forward funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Adapt Forward M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Adapt Forward
What does Adapt Forward do?
Adapt Forward delivers five integrated cybersecurity service lines—Defensive Security, Offensive Security, Risk & Compliance, Cloud & Hybrid Infrastructure, and Technical Innovation—serving the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and federal agencies. Core work includes Cybersecurity Service Provider (CSSP) operations, cyber red team services, custom tool development (including custom SIEM, MITRE ATT&CK operationalization, and AI/ML-enabled threat detection), and support for AWS GovCloud and Azure IL4/5/6 cloud environments. The firm is a Veteran-Owned Small Business competing for task orders through federal contract vehicles.
Is Adapt Forward a public or private company?
Adapt Forward is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Adapt Forward founded?
Adapt Forward was founded in 2014. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Adapt Forward based?
Adapt Forward is headquartered in North Charleston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Adapt Forward make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Professional Services.
Who are Adapt Forward's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SAIC, ManTech International, Leidos, Akima, CACI International and Booz Allen Hamilton. Direct peers are CyberProof, Boecore, Applied Insight and IntelliBridge.
Does Adapt Forward have an API?
No public API is recorded for Adapt Forward.
What industry is Adapt Forward in?
Adapt Forward's product category is Federal Cybersecurity Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEADAL, Data Security & Privacy Managed Services (DLP/Encryption), with a secondary code of BPAHAEAG, Cybersecurity & Identity Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7370.