QuickStart, a cybersecurity workforce development and talent marketplace company, today announced the acquisition of IronCircle, an AI-powered cybersecurity training organization. The acquisition advances QuickStart’s mission to strengthen the world’s digital defenses by building the most capable and trusted cybersecurity workforce.
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The addition of IronCircle expands QuickStart’s cyber workforce readiness & Intelligence capabilities, enhancing its ability to prepare, validate, and deploy cyber talent into real-world roles that protect critical systems, data, and digital infrastructure. IronCircle will operate as part of QuickStart, contributing immersive, AI-enabled learning experiences designed to reflect the realities of today’s threat landscape.
Together, QuickStart and IronCircle further power a cybersecurity talent marketplace that connects individuals, employers, and workforce partners through outcomes-driven training, performance validation, and continuous improvement informed by data and feedback. The combined organization strengthens alignment between cyber education and the skills that organizations need to defend critical systems and digital infrastructure.
As cybersecurity becomes foundational to organizational resilience across government and industry, demand for role-ready professionals continues to outpace supply. By integrating IronCircle’s technology enabled approach, QuickStart is positioned to deliver scalable, employer-aligned cybersecurity workforce solutions that address the global cyber skills gap.
“This acquisition reinforces our focus on real-world readiness and workforce impact,” said Bret Fund, Chief Executive Officer of QuickStart. “IronCircle strengthens our ability to prepare individuals for operational cyber roles while enabling organizations to build and sustain effective cyber defenses.
IronCircle brings experience in immersive, technology-enabled cybersecurity education that enhances QuickStart’s existing offerings and supports learners, partners, and organizations seeking skilled cybersecurity professionals.
“IronCircle was built to help individuals and organizations develop cyber talent that’s ready for the realities of today’s threat landscape,” said James Foster, Chief Executive Officer of IronCircle. “With QuickStart, the combined company now has the industry's largest integrated cyber training ecosystem focused on workforce readiness and industry-aligned skills.”
With this acquisition, QuickStart continues to expand its role as a partner to organizations seeking to develop, assess, and deploy cybersecurity talent capable of defending critical digital infrastructure.
About QuickStart
QuickStart is a cybersecurity workforce development and talent marketplace company backed by more than 35 years of experience in technology education and workforce development. The company delivers AI-enabled, performance-based cybersecurity education for enterprises, government agencies, academic institutions, and workforce organizations. Its platform integrates skills development, validation, and workforce intelligence to help organizations build and sustain cyber capability at scale.
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About IronCircle
IronCircle is an AI-powered cybersecurity training platform focused on preparing learners for real-world cyber challenges. Through immersive, career-aligned learning experiences, IronCircle helps individuals build resilient, job-ready skills aligned to the evolving demands of the cybersecurity workforce.
Media Contact
Brianne Gasquet, QuickStart, 1 (855) 800-8240, [email protected], https://www.quickstart.com/
SOURCE QuickStart
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