Cherokee Federal, the federal contracting division of Cherokee Nation Businesses, has acquired cybersecurity and IT services firm Criterion Systems for an undisclosed amount.
This is technology M&A deal number 60 that ChannelE2E has covered so far in 2023. See more than 2,000 technology M&A deals involving MSPs, MSSPs & IT service providers listed here.
Cherokee Federal is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with additional offices in Arlington, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; Huntsville, Alabama; and San Antonio, Texas. The company has 939 employees listed on LinkedIn. Cherokee Federal’s areas of expertise include Federal Contracting.
Criterion Systems, founded in 2005, is based in Vienna, Virginia, outside of Washington DC. The company has 331 employees listed on LinkedIn. Criterion’s areas of expertise include Cybersecurity, IT Infrastructure, Systems Engineering, Cloud Computing, Data Center Management, Data Science, Software Engineering, Solutions Engineering, Cloud Automation, and Cloud Management.
Criterion serves as a strategic partner and trusted prime contractor for many of the nation’s most mission-critical environments across more than a dozen agencies of the federal government, according to Cherokee.
Cherokee Federal Acquires Criterion Systems: Executive Commentary
Steven Bilby, president, Cherokee Federal, commented:
“The strategic decision to acquire Criterion was made with the evolving needs and long-term success of the customer in mind. In addition to helping federal agencies address emerging cybersecurity requirements crucial to the protection of our nation, Criterion delivers efficient and secure methodologies and architectures for modernizing government IT that are unparalleled in the industry.”
Promod Sharma, CEO, Criterion, said:
“We take great pride in what we have built and the growth Criterion has achieved by supporting the federal government through an outcomes-focused approach that embraces modern solutions that ultimately improve and optimize service delivery. The opportunity to join forces with the talented team at Cherokee Federal and fuel continued growth and sophistication is truly exciting.”
About Cherokee Federal
Cherokee Federal is owned by Cherokee Nation Businesses (CNB) — which bills itself as the “economic engine” of the Cherokee Nation, the largest Native American tribe in the United States.
The group is a conglomerate holding company that oversees and manages several subsidiary companies across various industries including aerospace and defense, hospitality and entertainment, environmental and construction services, information technology, healthcare, and security and safety.
