Star Protection Agency California

What Star Protection Agency California does

Star Protection Agency California (SPACA, Inc.) is a privately held, Oakland-based security services firm founded in 2009, holding California Private Patrol Operator license #16499 and Private Investigator license #26624. The company delivers six core service lines — Executive Protection, Media Security, Consulting & Assessments, Guard & Patrol Services, Investigation & Background, and Training — to four primary customer segments in the Bay Area: high net worth individuals and VIPs, schools and educational institutions, media and news organizations, and businesses/organizations. Its Media Security program, launched in 2009 in response to the Oscar Grant unrest and embedding armed retired law enforcement officers with news crews, is the company's signature offering and primary reputational anchor.

The business model is professional services: SPACA contracts directly with Bay Area clients via phone-based sales (enterprise field sales motion, no marketing channels beyond its own website), deploys BSIS-licensed officers on-site, and bills through hourly armed/unarmed guard engagement (Level 1 uniformed guards start at $22/hr; Level 3 armed retired-law-enforcement guards start at $55/hr) plus project-based executive protection, consulting assessments, investigation, and ALICE-certified active shooter training engagements. Technology plays a supporting rather than central role: the firm describes a 'technology-assisted tools for patrol and security tasks' approach layered onto conventional foot patrols, perimeter checks, and physical presence — there is no proprietary software platform, no AI/ML capability, and no API surface.

SPACA is founder-led by President/CEO Ed Lynd, with no external investors, no disclosed funding rounds, no subsidiaries, and no M&A activity in the public record. The company operates as a single-site Bay Area provider with a deliberately vertical-segmented GTM and focuses on hiring credentialed personnel (retired law enforcement and military) as its primary moat. In September 2023, the firm discontinued its Live Scan fingerprinting offering to refocus on core protective services, and as of April 2025 it is actively hiring across shift types, suggesting steady but undisclosed capacity expansion within its existing geographic perimeter.

Name

Star Protection Agency California

Legal name

SPACA, Inc.

Website

https://spaca.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Star Protection Agency California is an Oakland-based private security firm licensed by the California BSIS (PPO #16499, PI #26624) that provides executive protection, media security, guard and patrol services, investigations, consulting, and training to Bay Area VIPs, schools, media organizations, and businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Security Services

NAICS

Security Guards and Patrol Services (561612), Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services (56161)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

High-Net-Worth Individual (HNWI) & Celebrity Protection (BPAKABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive Protection & Close Protection Services (IMAIAEAC), Private Security & Close Protection (VIP) (HSACAMAF)

Keywords

• Executive protection services
• Uniformed security guards
• Media security services
• Private investigation services
• Security consulting assessments

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Security Services: Professional security services including executive protection, media security, guard and patrol services, investigations, and consulting. Revenue generated through contracted security services delivered by licensed security officers and armed protection professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Star Protection Agency California provides contracted professional security services across the Bay Area, including executive protection for VIPs and corporate leaders, embedded media security for news and production crews, uniformed guard and patrol services, private investigation and background checks, security consulting and vulnerability assessments, and ALICE-certified active-shooter response training. Services are delivered by licensed Private Patrol Operator (#16499) and Private Investigator (#26624) personnel, many of whom have law-enforcement and military backgrounds.

Product overview

Star Protection Agency California is a security services company offering a portfolio of interconnected protection services. The core offerings include Executive Protection for high-profile individuals and corporate clients, Media Security for news and production crews, Guard & Patrol Services for uniformed site protection, Investigation & Background services, Consulting & Assessments for risk evaluations, and Training programs. The company operates as a single unified service provider with licensed California Private Patrol Operator (PPO) and Private Investigator (PI) credentials, serving clients throughout the Bay Area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Protection

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully protected thousands of news crews during political unrest since 2009

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bureau of Security & Investigative Services (BSIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia state regulatory body governing security guard licensing. All Star Protection personnel are licensed by BSIS, the governing body that licenses security guards in California. Company holds PPO #16499 and PI #26624 licenses through BSIS.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Allied Universal: Largest U.S. security services provider offering manned guarding, patrol, and security solutions across all 50 states. Overlaps with SPACA's guard & patrol business as a scaled incumbent competing for the same Bay Area commercial guard contracts.
• Pinkerton (part of Securitas): Global investigative and corporate security firm providing executive protection, investigations, and consulting. Closely aligned with SPACA's investigation/background and EP service lines, though operating at national scale with a broader corporate client base.
• Kroll: Global investigations, risk consulting, and security firm. Comparable to SPACA's investigation/background and consulting/assessment services at significantly larger scale and broader corporate/government client base.

Direct peers

• Hillard Heintze (a Jensen Hughes company): Security risk management and consulting firm providing threat assessments, executive protection, and investigations. Directly comparable to SPACA's consulting & assessments and investigation offerings for corporate and institutional clients.
• AS Solution (a GardaWorld company): Specialized executive protection and secure transportation provider serving corporate executives and HNWIs. Direct peer to SPACA's EP service line with similar ex-military/law enforcement staffing model, but operating nationally.
• Command Security Corporation (now part of GardaWorld): Mid-sized security guard and patrol provider serving commercial clients. Comparable to SPACA's guard & patrol business in scale and contract-based guarding model.
• Gavin de Becker & Associates: Premier U.S. executive protection and threat assessment firm specializing in close protection for celebrities, executives, and government officials. Directly comparable to SPACA's HNWI/VIP executive protection offering, with a similar talent-driven, ex-law enforcement model.
• Bishop Protection Services: Specialized executive protection and protective services firm for corporate executives, dignitaries, and celebrities. Directly comparable to SPACA's HNWI/celebrity close protection offering with similar ex-law enforcement talent focus.
• International Security Management Group: Mid-sized U.S. security firm specializing in executive protection, guarding, and investigations with an ex-military/law enforcement staffing model. Comparable Bay Area and West Coast operations overlap with SPACA's service portfolio.

Others

• California Association of Licensed Security Agencies, Guards & Associates (CALSAGA): California industry trade association representing licensed private security firms. Indirect ecosystem peer to SPACA as both operate in the California PPO regulatory environment and represent the broader fragmented regional security guard market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/star-protection-agency-california

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Star Protection Agency California