GP Bullhound advises Optery on its sale to Surfshark Group

GP Bullhound has advised Optery, an industry-leading personal data removal software platform for consumers and businesses, on its sale to Surfshark, uniting a growing ecosystem of privacy and security brands such as Incogni, Ironwall, HeyPolo, and now Optery. 

Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Optery specializes in removing personal information from search engine results, data brokers and people-search sites. By bringing Optery’s specialized scanning technology, detailed screenshot reporting, and extensive US data broker coverage into the Surfshark Group, this acquisition strengthens user protection and accelerates innovation across the cybersecurity industry.

Driven by the growing need for personal data control in an AI-driven landscape, the acquisition brings Optery’s deep US-market expertise together with the group’s global scale. Optery will continue to operate as a standalone company, maintaining its own team, client base, technical architecture, and features alongside the group’s other privacy brands.

Lawrence Gentilello, CEO  and Founder of Optery, commented: “Joining the Surfshark Group is an exciting milestone that reflects a strong shared commitment to prevent cyber and physical threats with personal data removal. By pooling our knowledge with Incogni, Ironwall, and Surfshark, we can collaborate extensively to deliver even greater protection for our users. GP Bullhound was instrumental in this transaction and worked tirelessly for us throughout the process.”

Alec Dafferner, Partner at GP Bullhound, commented: “Lawrence, Chen, Dekel and the Optery team have built a clear category leader in personal data removal, at a moment when digital privacy has moved from a niche concern to a mainstream consumer requirement. Surfshark is the ideal home for the business, combining global consumer reach with a deep commitment to privacy. We are delighted to have advised Optery on this transaction.”

This transaction reinforces GP Bullhound’s global leadership in consumer subscription and across cybersecurity and digital identity, with a strong track record advising category leaders, including Vialink on its sale to Signaturit (backed by PSG), RealVNC on its investment from Livingbridge and Hooyu on its sale to Mitek Systems.

About Optery

Optery is a personal data removal platform that finds and removes users’ profiles from data broker and people-search websites. Serving both consumers and businesses, Optery provides continuous monitoring and automated opt-outs across hundreds of sites, helping individuals and organizations reduce the risk of identity theft, doxxing and social engineering. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, the company operates as a fully remote global team. For more information, please visit optery.com.

About GP Bullhound

GP Bullhound is a leading technology advisory firm, providing transaction advice to the world’s best entrepreneurs. Founded in 1999, the firm has 10 offices across Europe, the US, and Asia. Learn more at gpbullhound.com.

Enquiries

Alec Dafferner, Partner at GP Bullhound | alec.dafferner@gpbullhound.com

Greg Stucker, Director at GP Bullhound | greg.stucker@gpbullhound.com