What Fortinus Global does

Fortinus Global is a specialist border management consultancy founded in 2013 and headquartered in Sutton, Surrey, UK. The firm provides expert advisory, transformation, training and technology-audit services across four integrated service lines: Strategic Border Management, Digital Borders & Technology, Immigration & Customs Compliance, and Training. Its primary client base is sovereign governments and border agencies, with disclosed engagement history spanning the UK, Kuwait, Malaysia, Australia and Canada; a secondary practice serves private-sector clients needing immigration and customs compliance support, particularly under post-Brexit UK frameworks.

The firm is differentiated almost entirely by its talent bench: the team is composed of former senior UK government officials, including the founder and Managing Director Tony Smith CBE (former Director General of UK Border Force, 40+ years of service), Glyn Williams CB (former Director General of Immigration and Border Policy), Kevin Franklin (former Director of Customs Transformation at HMRC), and roughly a dozen further consultants averaging 30-40+ years each in UK Border Force, HMRC, Home Office and Foreign Office roles. Several team members hold CBE/CB/MBE honours awarded for services to border security. The firm conducts a research collaboration with Kingston University on AI and computer vision for behavioural detection at UK ports and engages in policy work (notably a 2022 Policy Exchange report on Channel migration) and parliamentary testimony on UK border legislation.

Revenue is generated through bespoke professional-services engagements on a quote-based pricing model with no public rate card or productized offering. The firm is privately held by its founder and has no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or parent entity. Headcount sits in the 1-10 band. Marketing is executed primarily through thought leadership — Tony Smith's appearances on BBC World News and Sky News, parliamentary committee evidence, IBMATA summit participation, and the 'Pushing the Envelope' podcast — rather than through paid acquisition or digital channels.

Name

Fortinus Global

Legal name

Fortinus Global Ltd

Website

https://fortinusglobal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fortinus Global is a UK-based specialist border management consultancy serving governments and private-sector clients with advisory, transformation, training and technology-audit services, founded in 2013 and led by former senior UK Border Force officials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Border Management Consulting

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), National Security and International Affairs (928), National Security (928110)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Border Security, Maritime Security & Transnational Threat Cooperation (BPADAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigration, Citizenship & Border Administration (Civil) (BPAIAAAN), Visa, Immigration Liaison & Travel Document Policy (Foreign Affairs) (BPAIAIAL), Global Mobility, Immigration & Work Permit Services (BPACAHAD)

Keywords

• Border management consultancy
• Immigration compliance services
• Customs facilitation consulting
• Border security training
• Integrated border management

Headquarters

HQ city

Sutton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Expert consultancy services provided to governments, border agencies, and the private sector on border management, security, compliance, and transformation programmes.
2. Training Services: Extensive training and capacity building services on immigration, passport, visa, and border transformation services including modular training courses from half-day to three-day programmes.
3. Technology Product Advisory: Expert and impartial audits of border related products and processes to assist companies in meeting border security requirements, with ongoing business development advice and support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Fortinus Global is a specialist border management consultancy that delivers advisory, audit, training and capacity-building services to governments, border agencies and private sector clients. Its four service lines cover strategic border management, digital borders and border-related technology, immigration and customs compliance, and modular training programmes on immigration, passport, visa, and border transformation. Engagements span strategy development, transformation programme delivery, technology product audits, regulatory compliance support, and training delivery.

Product overview

Fortinus Global operates as a unified consultancy platform offering four integrated service areas: Strategic Border Management, Digital Borders & Technology, Immigration & Customs Compliance, and Training. These services work together to provide comprehensive border management consulting—from strategic advice and technology audits to compliance support and capacity building—serving governments, border agencies, and private sector clients globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Border Management Expert consultancy services and advice to governments, border agencies and the private sector on modern day border management principles, including developing border strategy, conducting assessments, and implementing border transformation programmes. Targeted at public sector border agencies and government departments.
• Digital Borders & Technology Specialist advice and impartial audits for companies and organisations developing new and emerging border technologies, helping them meet border security requirements both in the UK and abroad. Includes ongoing business development advice and support.
• Immigration & Customs Compliance Expert consultancy helping government and private sector clients meet regulatory compliance frameworks in immigration, customs, and security practice, including advice on the UK Border Operating Model, customs procedures, sponsorship licences, right to work checks, and new immigration regulations.
• Training Extensive training and capacity building services on immigration, passport, visa, and border transformation services, covering document verification, targeting systems, risk assessment frameworks, digital borders and automated border controls. Delivered in modular formats from half-day to three-day programmes by an international team of experts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Border strategy and transformation programmes delivered in 5 countries (Kuwait, Malaysia, Australia, Canada, UK) since 2013

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KUIL (Kingston University)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2024Research collaboration focusing on enhancing behavioural detection capabilities at borders. The project involved field visits to UK ports including Gatwick Airport, St Pancras International, and Portsmouth Harbour, using AI and computer vision techniques. Led by Prof. Vasilis Argyriou and Prof. JC Nebel with contributions from Dr Yannis Spyridis.
• IBMATA (International Border Management and Technologies Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTony Smith CBE serves as Chair of IBMATA. The association hosts regional summits including Border Management & Technologies Summits in Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East. Fortinus Global actively participates and speaks at these events.
• ParavisionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFortinus Global news coverage of Paravision Converge 4 publication, which spotlights Paravision partners including ID.me, Secunet, Toppan, Imprivata, Vicon, eConnect, and PopID building real-world identity systems.
• Policy ExchangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored report with Policy Exchange titled 'Stopping the Small Boats: a Plan B' on stopping irregular migrants crossing the Channel by small boat.
• PEN-CP Network (EU Horizon 2020)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPushing the Envelope podcast is part of the PEN-CP network, an EU-funded initiative under Horizon 2020 programme aimed at promoting Customs innovation. Tony Smith CBE appears as guest speaker.
• Cross-border Research AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost organization for the Pushing the Envelope podcast featuring Tony Smith CBE discussing border management innovation.
• UK Department for Business and TradecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerManaging Director Tony Smith CBE participated in the preparation and publication of the UK Department of Trade Border Security UK Capability Brochure, providing expertise on UK border security market capabilities for export to global borders community.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Control Risks: Specialist risk consultancy with political-risk, security, and cross-border advisory practices that overlap with Fortinus's border security and policy advisory work.

Broad incumbents

• Thales: Global border security and identity-management technology incumbent whose solutions (border control, e-gates, biometric systems) overlap with Fortinus's Digital Borders & Technology advisory practice.
• Deloitte: Big Four advisory firm with public-sector and risk consulting practices that frequently bid on UK and international border, customs, and immigration transformation programmes.
• Accenture: Global professional services firm with public-sector and customs/border transformation practices that compete for large-scale border digitisation mandates similar to Fortinus's engagements.
• PA Consulting: UK-based consultancy with a strong public-sector and security practice that competes for government transformation mandates including border and immigration programmes.
• IDEMIA: Identity and border technology provider covering ePassports, biometric border control, and traveller identification, intersecting with Fortinus's digital borders and identity management advisory work.
• KPMG: Big Four advisory firm with government consulting and trade/customs practices that compete for border modernisation contracts globally.

Direct peers

• Hakluyt: London-based boutique advisory firm that provides high-level strategic intelligence and government-relations support to corporates, comparable to Fortinus's senior-advisor model.
• MIB Managing International Borders DMCC: UAE-based border management consultancy founded by Shaun Anton, a former Fortinus Global consultant and ex-UK Immigration Services regional manager. Most direct competitor in the same niche advisory market.

Others

• IBMATA: International Border Management and Technologies Association, chaired by Tony Smith CBE. Although an association rather than a competitor, it operates the same global summit circuit that anchors Fortinus Global's market presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fortinus-global-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Fortinus Global