Momentum Cyber was recently featured in Dark Reading, in a piece by Robert Lemos examining how the accelerating race for AI capabilities is driving cybersecurity M&A toward another record-breaking year. The article cited Momentum Cyber’s latest market data showing 117 M&A transactions in Q3 2026, putting the industry on pace for approximately 450 deals this year. AI security acquisitions have been a particularly significant driver, reaching 40 transactions through the first three quarters of 2026, compared to just 10 in all of 2025.
Founder & CEO Eric McAlpine’s commentary was featured throughout the piece, highlighting how AI is compressing innovation cycles, blurring traditional cybersecurity categories, and reshaping both acquisition strategies and venture financing. McAlpine noted that investors are becoming increasingly selective, favoring larger investments in proven founders, while strategic acquirers race to secure AI-native capabilities. The article also explored the growing role of nontraditional buyers, including hyperscalers and frontier AI labs, and McAlpine’s expectation that private equity-backed exits will rebound as market conditions normalize.
Read the full article on Dark Reading:
https://www.darkreading.com/cybersecurity-analytics/ai-scramble-cybersecurity-ma-boom