• Interested in expanding to Gulf region
• Geopolitical consulting a fast growing space
• Has made acqui-hires so far

The Asia Group, a Washington, DC-based provider of geopolitical consulting, could look at its first acquisitions following an investment from RLH Equity Partners on 11 December, said Nirav Patel, co-founder and CEO.

The company, which will celebrate its 12th anniversary on 13 February, has made acqui-hires over the years, which could continue. But it would also consider technology acquisitions or acquisitions of other geopolitical consulting firms, he said. Patel said because of the uniqueness of the professional services business, acquisitions take a little more work to integrate than in other sectors. “Culture and values are very important,” he said.

One area of interest is supply chain management expertise for strategic decision-making, Patel said.

“Within geopolitical consulting, we have significant optimism on demand for services,” he said. The demand is being driven by US-China tensions and the policy of the second Trump administration.

The company has nine subsidiaries around Asia Pacific and 125 full-time employees. He declined to disclose revenue but said the company is profitable with strong margins.

The minority stake sale came through a Robert W. Baird-led targeted auction process, he said. Patel and other company executives own the majority.

In addition to potential acquisitions, the capital will be used to increase The Asia Group’s talent pool and expand its market reach, not only in Asia Pacific but around the world, Patel said. For example, the company would like to have a footprint in the Gulf region, which could come through an acquisition or greenfield effort.

The company would also like to expand its team in the US, he said.

Acquisitions could also involve technology solutions to complement the company’s new AI policy chatbot. Targets might include providers of high-quality data and analytical inputs to expand The Asia Group’s library of content, Patel said. The platform has been in development for more than two years with a Fortune 100 customer as a beta tester, he said.

In addition to possible M&A, The Asia Group aspires to hire a full-stack development team in-house for the platform, but Patel acknowledged that this will take some time.

The Asia Group distinguishes itself by focusing not just on risks but on how geopolitical events and global policy initiatives can create business opportunities, Patel said.

Speaking of the new presidential administration in the US, he said, “Transitions create opportunities. You need to understand the ramifications of policies to guide new or existing investments. There is an insatiable demand for information.”

The Asia Group serves large enterprises as well as institutional and high-net-worth investors.

The company competes with the big four global management consulting firms as well as Brunswick Group and Apco, he said.

There has been active M&A in the geopolitical consulting space recently. Dentons acquired Interel; UAE-based Ankura acquired McClarty; Teneo acquired WestExec and ICV invested in Beacon Global Strategies.

“This industry historically has been very niche. It’s becoming a critical nondiscretionary feature of how businesses operate. There is a supply-demand misalignment in the market,” he said.

Gunderson Dettmer served as legal counsel to The Asia Group.