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ForeScout Technologies
ForeScout Technologies, led by Michael McNerney, is a cybersecurity firm specializing in agentless device visibility and control for IT, IoT, and OT...
ForeScout Technologies
ForeScout Technologies was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in San Jose, California. The company develops agentless cybersecurity software that discovers, classifies, and enforces security policies across all networked devices. Michael McNerney serves as CEO, having taken the role in 2023. The firm's technology is deployed across verticals including healthcare, manufacturing, and government. ForeScout's platform, known as the ForeScout Platform, provides device visibility and control for IT, IoT, OT, and IoMT environments. The company operates through a direct sales model and a channel partner network. It serves over 3,000 customers globally (per the company). The platform integrates with more than 100 third-party security tools via the ForeScout Extended Module Program. ForeScout was publicly traded until it was taken private in 2022 by Advent International in a deal valued at $1.7 billion. The acquisition gave Advent majority ownership. The company continues to operate as a standalone entity within Advent's portfolio, with no public disclosure of separate AUM or additional family office structures. ForeScout's structural differentiator is its agentless approach: unlike most enterprise security products that require software agents on every endpoint, ForeScout passively detects and classifies devices over the network. This model is especially valuable in environments where agents cannot be installed — such as legacy medical equipment, industrial control systems, or unmanaged IoT devices.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2000
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Jose
Corporate office
San Jose, CA, United States
Principals
Michael McNerney
Chief Executive Officer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at ForeScout Technologies?
ForeScout is a portfolio company of Advent International, a global private equity firm. Investment and strategic decisions are made by ForeScout's executive team, led by CEO Michael McNerney, with oversight from Advent's investment professionals. ForeScout does not operate as a standalone investment firm or family office.
How does ForeScout source proprietary deal flow?
ForeScout does not operate as an investment firm and therefore does not source deal flow. It is an operating cybersecurity company selling agentless device security software. The firm's growth comes from direct enterprise sales and expansion of its partner ecosystem.
Is ForeScout structured as a single family office or a venture firm?
Neither. ForeScout Technologies is a cybersecurity technology company that was taken private by Advent International in 2022. It is not a family office, asset manager, or venture capital firm. It is an operating business focused on network security products.
What does ForeScout Technologies do?
ForeScout provides an agentless cybersecurity platform that discovers and identifies every device connected to an enterprise network — including IT, IoT, OT, and medical devices. The platform then enforces security policies without requiring software agents to be installed on each device.
Does ForeScout Technologies participate in fund commitments or only direct investments?
ForeScout does not make fund commitments or direct investments. It is a technology company that sells security software. The firm's capital structure is managed by its owner Advent International, not by ForeScout itself.
What sectors does ForeScout Technologies explicitly avoid?
ForeScout does not invest in sectors; it sells to enterprises across healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, government, and energy. There are no disclosed sectors it avoids.
Where does the underlying wealth at ForeScout Technologies come from?
ForeScout Technologies is not a wealth management entity. The company is owned by private equity firm Advent International, which manages capital from institutional investors, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds. The wealth origin of Advent's LPs is not publicly attributed to individual family branches.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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