What ISTARI does

ISTARI is a London-headquartered, Temasek-founded cyber resilience firm established in Singapore in 2020 and operating globally through offices in London, New York, Singapore, and Munich. The company delivers three integrated service pillars: senior advisory structured around Apex (board and executive advisory), Frontier (future cybersecurity strategy including AI Security and Post-Quantum Cryptography), and Foundation (capability and transformation); executive education through NAVIGATOR (with Cambridge Judge Business School), COMPASS, LIGHTHOUSE, and CHARTER Forum programmes; and innovation curation via a portfolio of seven cybersecurity companies (Axio, BlueVoyant, Claroty, Ensign InfoSecurity, Prevalent AI, Sonrai Security, Sygnia) backed in alliance with four cyber-focused VC firms (Ten Eleven Ventures, SYN Ventures, Team8, Clear Sky). The firm targets boards, CISOs, and senior executives of global enterprises — including named alumni such as Allianz, DBS Bank, Santander, Repsol, Glencore, Emirates, DP World, and Nike — with practitioner-led engagements rather than junior consulting teams.

Revenue derives from bespoke senior advisory engagements (professional services), education programme fees, and portfolio-related referral or value-realisation economics. ISTARI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, operates with a small core team of 11–50 employees, and has deployed over $1 billion across its ecosystem of portfolio companies and partners. The company emphasises a whole-of-organisation methodology (trademarked "resilience-by-routine®") that spans boardroom to operational teams, and it does not sell a proprietary software product — its competitive position rests on senior talent, the partner ecosystem, and academic credibility rather than a technology platform. AI Security and Post-Quantum Cryptography have been elevated as core Frontier practice areas, with a May 2026 strategic partnership with Cranium AI extending the firm's ability to deliver AI governance and security solutions to enterprise clients.

Name

ISTARI

Legal name

ISTARI Global Limited

Website

https://istari-global.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ISTARI is a Temasek-founded, London-headquartered cyber resilience firm delivering senior advisory, executive education, and curated innovation to boards, CISOs, and global enterprises across financial, industrial, and technology sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Advisory Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Other Computer Related Services (541519)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Cybersecurity & Identity Consulting (BPAHAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive/Board Security Advisory & Risk Briefings (BPAKADAK), Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Advisory (BPAHAFAA)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity advisory services
• Cyber resilience consulting
• Executive cybersecurity education
• Cyber risk transformation
• Security leadership advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Advisory Services: Senior cyber resilience advisory engagements delivered by practitioners. Services include board and executive advisory (Apex), future cybersecurity strategy including AI security and post-quantum cryptography (Frontier), and capability transformation and enterprise security architecture (Foundation).
2. Education and Training Programmes: Executive education programmes including NAVIGATOR (with Cambridge Judge Business School), LIGHTHOUSE board enablement, COMPASS Summit, and CHARTER Forum APAC series. Revenue generated through programme fees.
3. Innovation/Investment Portfolio: Through its investment arm and partnerships with cyber-specific VC funds, ISTARI curates and backs portfolio companies. The company may earn referral fees or commissions when clients procure cyber security products from portfolio companies.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ISTARI delivers senior, practitioner-led cyber resilience advisory to enterprise boards, C-suite, and CISOs, organized into three pillars: Advisory (Apex board/executive advisory, Frontier future strategy including AI security and post-quantum cryptography, and Foundation capability transformation), Education & Academy (executive education through NAVIGATOR with Cambridge Judge Business School, COMPASS Summit, LIGHTHOUSE board enablement, and CHARTER APAC Forum), and Innovation & Portfolio (curated cybersecurity portfolio companies backed by partnerships with leading cyber-focused VC funds).

Product overview

ISTARI is a cyber resilience advisory firm, not a software product company. The company operates three interconnected service lines: Advisory Services (senior practitioner-led cyber risk advisory spanning board/executive strategy, future cybersecurity including AI security and post-quantum cryptography, and capability transformation), Education & Academy (executive education programs including Navigator with Cambridge Judge Business School, COMPASS Summit, LIGHTHOUSE Programme for board enablement, and CHARTER Forum for APAC), and Innovation & Portfolio (investment arm curating a portfolio of cybersecurity companies including Axio, BlueVoyant, Claroty, Ensign, Prevalent AI, Sonrai Security, and Sygnia, backed by VC partnerships with Clear Sky, Syn, Ten Eleven, and Team8). The company emphasizes a holistic, whole-of-organization approach augmented by AI.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• resilience-by-routine®: ISTARI's methodology for building cyber resilience through routine practices.
• Apex
• Frontier
• Foundation
• NAVIGATOR
• COMPASS
• CHARTER
• LIGHTHOUSE

Products and services

• ISTARI Advisory Services (Apex, Frontier, Foundation) Practitioner-led senior advisory engagements that align security posture with business goals, helping organizations anticipate, withstand, respond and adapt to cyber events. The service spans three practice areas: Apex (Board & Executive Advisory including Board Strategic Leadership and Cybersecurity Performance), Frontier (Future Cybersecurity Strategy including AI Security and Post-Quantum & Cryptographic Security), and Foundation (Capability & Transformation including Building Modern Security and Enterprise Security Architecture). Target buyers are enterprise boards, CEOs, CISOs, and security leaders seeking whole-of-company strategic cyber resilience.
• NAVIGATOR Executive Education Programme Flagship executive programme co-delivered with Cambridge Judge Business School, providing a 4-day immersive accelerated learning format equipping senior leaders with the strategic capability to lead through cyber risk. The programme is eligible for 24 CPD points, has 9+ core faculty members, and holds a 4.89/5 past programme score. NAVIGATOR alumni come from organizations including Allianz, DBS Bank, DP World, Emirates Airline, Glencore, Aston Martin, Mahindra, Nike, Randstad, Repsol, Statkraft, Banco Santander, TomTom, Fashion Retail Group, and Telekom Malaysia.
• COMPASS Summit and Community Annual premier forum and community of cyber leaders from the world's foremost organizations, convening to share insight, shape thinking, and drive collective action on cyber resilience. Functions as a peer-to-peer network and ecosystem for senior cyber executives, including alumni and friends of ISTARI's education programmes.
• LIGHTHOUSE Board Enablement Programme Board enablement programme that empowers directors to govern cybersecurity as a core enterprise risk, providing skills, knowledge and confidence to boards on cybersecurity performance measurement, accountability, and regulatory alignment (SEC, DORA, NIS2). Direct extension of the Apex board and executive advisory practice offered as a cohort-based offering.
• CHARTER APAC Forum Series APAC Forum series convening government officials, business leaders, academics, and investors around a shared commitment to cyber resilience and regional coordination against global cyber threats. Anchored in ISTARI's Singapore office with Temasek's APAC ecosystem support.
• ISTARI Innovation & Portfolio Curation Curated portfolio of cybersecurity companies and partnerships with leading cyber-specific VC funds (Ten Eleven Ventures, SYN Ventures, Team8, Clear Sky). Portfolio companies include Axio (cyber risk management), BlueVoyant (Cyber Defence Platform combining MDR, TPRM, DRP; 2024 Microsoft Worldwide Partner of the Year), Claroty (cyber-physical systems security), Ensign InfoSecurity (APAC pure-play cybersecurity services), Prevalent AI (AI-powered data fabric and sovereign knowledge graph), Sonrai Security (cloud PAM), and Sygnia (global incident response). Delivered to enterprise clients via portfolio company referrals and ecosystem introductions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Organizations move from fragmented AI initiatives to fully embedded, sustainable security programmes aligned with emerging regulations.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, portfolio and minor.

• Cranium AIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Strategic partnership to provide global enterprises with an integrated AI security and governance solution. Collaboration combines Cranium's AI security platform with ISTARI's cyber resilience advisory expertise to help organizations operationalize AI governance and compliance across internal and third-party AI systems. Partnership aims to address the growing gap between AI deployment speed and organizational ability to govern and secure AI at scale.
• AxioportfolioOthersPortfolio company providing cybersecurity and business leaders with a platform to focus on risks that matter most. Axio aligns IT, security, and operations with unified risk definition.
• BlueVoyantportfolioOthersPortfolio company providing Cyber Defence Platform integrating MDR, TPRM, and DRP. Cloud-native platform with real-time threat monitoring across networks, endpoints, and supply chains. Recognized as 2024 Microsoft Worldwide Partner of the Year.
• ClarotyportfolioOthersPortfolio company empowering organizations to secure cyber-physical systems across industrial, healthcare, and commercial environments (XIoT). Unified platform for visibility, risk management, threat detection, and secure remote access.
• Ensign InfoSecurityportfolioOthersPortfolio company and largest pure-play end-to-end cybersecurity service provider in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore with bespoke solutions for cybersecurity advisory, architecture design, systems integration, and managed security services.
• Prevalent AIportfolioOthersPortfolio company providing AI-powered data fabric and sovereign knowledge graph that cleans, connects, and contextualizes enterprise data. Foundation for continuous exposure management, identity, and AI-ready defence.
• Sonrai SecurityportfolioOthersPortfolio company and leading cloud privileged access management (PAM) solutions provider. Delivers identity, access, and permissions security for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud platforms. Pioneer of Cloud Permissions Firewall.
• SygniaportfolioOthersPortfolio company and leading global incident response firm with boutique approach. Treats cyber breaches as business crisis. 100% vendor agnostic with over a decade of frontline expertise.
• Cambridge Judge Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for NAVIGATOR executive education programme. Joint curriculum at forefront of cyber resilience strategy and innovation thinking. Faculty includes Associate Professor Simon Learmount and other Cambridge academics.
• Oxford University Saïd Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing research capabilities. Dr. Lucas Kello directs Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research at Oxford. Dr. Manuel Hepfer is Research Affiliate. Research focuses on organizational resilience to cyberattacks.
• Artan ConsultingminorOthersCompany partner offering next-generation cyber tools and services through ISTARI ecosystem.
• HalyconminorOthersCompany partner offering next-generation cyber tools and services through ISTARI ecosystem.
• IndigominorOthersCompany partner offering next-generation cyber tools and services through ISTARI ecosystem.
• SimeiominorOthersCompany partner offering next-generation cyber tools and services through ISTARI ecosystem.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mandiant (Google Cloud): Mandiant is the closest direct comparable - a pure-play cyber threat intelligence, incident response, and cyber advisory firm acquired by Google for ~$5.3B in 2022. It sells senior-led advisory and managed detection services to enterprise CISOs and boards, mirroring ISTARI's practitioner-led advisory motion.
• Optiv: Optiv is a US-headquartered cyber advisory and solutions integrator serving large enterprises with advisory, managed security, and integration services. Its advisory + partner-ecosystem model parallels ISTARI's advisory + portfolio company structure.
• NCC Group: UK-headquartered cyber security specialist offering cyber advisory, managed detection, and incident response to enterprise clients. NCC Group's source code assurance and cyber resilience consulting directly overlap ISTARI's Foundation and Frontier practice areas, and it provides a public-market comparable for ISTARI's profile.
• Bishop Fox: Bishop Fox is a US-based boutique cybersecurity consulting firm specializing in offensive security, red teaming, and advisory services for Fortune 500 clients. Its elite practitioner model and enterprise focus mirror ISTARI's senior-led advisory positioning.
• Kroll Cyber Security: Kroll's Cyber Risk practice provides incident response, cyber advisory, and digital forensic services to enterprises and law firms. It competes head-to-head with ISTARI's Sygnia-equivalent portfolio offering and the Foundation advisory practice.
• FTI Consulting (Technology & Cyber Risk): FTI's Cybersecurity practice provides senior-led cyber advisory, incident response, and CISO advisory to Fortune 500 clients and boards. The firm structure (wholly professional services, senior practitioner model, board-level engagement) closely mirrors ISTARI's positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Palo Alto Networks Unit 42: Unit 42 is Palo Alto Networks' threat intelligence and incident response consulting arm, combining senior advisory services with the parent's security product portfolio. It competes with ISTARI's advisory and Frontier practices while operating inside a much larger cybersecurity vendor.
• Accenture Security: Accenture Security is the global consulting giant's dedicated cyber practice, delivering managed security, advisory, and transformation services at massive scale. It competes with ISTARI on large enterprise cyber resilience mandates where implementation breadth matters.
• KPMG Cyber Security Services: KPMG's Cyber Security Services practice is a Big 4 advisory offering providing cyber strategy, risk, and compliance services to enterprise clients and boards. Its board-level cyber governance work directly overlaps ISTARI's Apex and LIGHTHOUSE offerings, albeit at much larger scale.
• Booz Allen Hamilton (Cyber): Booz Allen Hamilton operates one of the largest commercial and federal cyber consulting practices, providing strategic cyber advisory, CISO support, and resilience services to Fortune 500 and government clients. It is a larger, broader competitor to ISTARI's enterprise advisory work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ISTARI-Global
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/istari-global

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments5 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ISTARI