Nov 9, 2026
Insight Assurance, a leading provider of independent cybersecurity audit and assurance services, today announced a strategic growth investment from Marlin Equity Partners, a global investment firm specializing in technology and tech-enabled services. It is the first institutional capital in our firm’s history, and it will accelerate our global expansion, broaden our capabilities across federal, AI governance, and international frameworks, and reinforce the independent, quality-first model that clients around the world rely on to earn and maintain trust.
We started in Tampa, Florida in 2020, founded by former Big 4 professionals. Today, 250+ of us work across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, serving organizations in more than 50 countries. Our growth has come from delivering quality to our customers and from the strength of client and ecosystem relationships built on independence and trust. Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.
What is the Marlin Equity Partners investment in Insight Assurance?
Marlin Equity Partners, a global investment firm specializing in technology and tech-enabled services, has made a strategic growth investment in Insight Assurance, announced on November 9, 2026. It is our first institutional capital. The investment supports our plans to expand our global footprint, deepen our work in federal, AI governance, and international frameworks, and support the people who deliver every assessment.
Does the investment change how Insight Assurance performs independent assessments?
Our approach to assessment is built on independence, and the investment is aimed at reinforcing it. We perform independent assessments against applicable standards, we evaluate the evidence your organization provides, and our findings rest on an objective review of documentation and testing. That is the standard we hold ourselves to, and it is why organizations rely on us to earn and maintain trust with their own customers.
That work is carried out by 250+ professionals across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Our audits are led by experienced auditors and enabled by AI that helps them work more efficiently. The people doing the work stay at the center of how we operate, and supporting them is part of where this investment goes.
Where will the investment go?
Customers, regulators, and boards increasingly ask for verifiable evidence of security, and independent assurance has become a prerequisite for doing business. The investment lets us respond to that demand in three areas: federal, AI governance, and international frameworks.
Federal frameworks
Federal work includes CMMC, the Department of Defense’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program for contractors that handle federal contract information and controlled unclassified information, and FedRAMP, the federal program that standardizes security assessment for the cloud services government agencies use. Federal is a major focus of this announcement, and we plan to deepen that work.
AI governance
As organizations adopt AI, customers and boards ask how those systems are governed. AI governance work includes ISO 42001, the international standard for AI management systems, and AIUC-1. We plan to broaden our capabilities in this area so organizations can have their approach to AI assessed independently.
International frameworks
International frameworks include ISO 27001, the international standard for information security management, GDPR, and DORA, the European Union’s Digital Operational Resilience Act for financial entities. Organizations that operate across borders often face several of these at once, and we plan to expand our global footprint to support them.
Beyond those areas, we plan to invest in our people, our capabilities, and our global reach.
What does this mean for current Insight Assurance clients?
If you already work with us, your Insight Assurance contact is the best place to start with any questions about your engagement. Our commitment to your assessment is the same one we have held since 2020: independent assessments, measured against the standard and based on the evidence.
What should organizations look for when choosing an independent cybersecurity assessor?
Whether you are preparing for a first assessment or comparing assessors, a few questions are worth asking:
- Is the assessor independent? Independence is what gives an assessment credibility with your customers, regulators, and boards.
- Does the assessor cover the frameworks you need? We assess across more than 20 frameworks, so you can demonstrate compliance with several of them through a single trusted assessor.
- Is the work led by experienced professionals? Our firm was founded by former Big 4 professionals, and our audits are led by experienced auditors.
- Does the assessor work where you do? We serve organizations in more than 50 countries across four regions.
If you are comparing assessors, we would like to talk. Visit insightassurance.com to get in touch with our team.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Marlin Equity Partners?
Marlin Equity Partners is a global investment firm with nearly $10 billion in capital commitments specializing in the software, technology, and services sectors. Founded in 2005, Marlin has completed over 260 acquisitions and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with an additional office in London. Learn more at marlinequity.com.
Is Insight Assurance still independent?
Independence is the foundation of how we assess, and the investment is aimed at reinforcing it. We continue to perform independent assessments against applicable standards and base our findings on the evidence your organization provides.
What frameworks does Insight Assurance assess?
We deliver assessments, certifications, and attestations across more than 20 frameworks, including SOC 1, SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, CMMC, FedRAMP, PCI DSS, HITRUST, HIPAA, AIUC-1, GDPR, and DORA, as well as penetration testing.
Where is Insight Assurance based, and how large is the team?
Insight Assurance is headquartered in Tampa, Florida and was founded in 2020. 250+ professionals work across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
Does Insight Assurance use AI in its audits?
Our audits are led by experienced auditors and enabled by AI that helps them work more efficiently.
Were the financial terms disclosed?
Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.
About Insight Assurance
Insight Assurance is a global, leading provider of independent cybersecurity audit, certification, and assurance services. Trusted by organizations in more than 50 countries, from high-growth technology companies to Fortune 500 enterprises, the firm delivers assessments, certifications, and attestations across more than 20 frameworks, including SOC 1, SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, CMMC, FedRAMP, PCI DSS, HITRUST, HIPAA, AIUC-1, GDPR, and DORA, as well as penetration testing. With 250+ professionals across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, Insight Assurance combines deep technical expertise with a disciplined, quality-first methodology and an unwavering commitment to independence, helping clients demonstrate security, meet evolving regulatory obligations, and build lasting trust with the customers who depend on them.
Delivering Quality, Assuring Trust.
