Frankfurt, February 4, 2026
Pictet has entered into a strategic partnership with QGroup, a specialized German provider of cybersecurity solutions
The Direct Private Equity Investment team at Pictet Alternative Advisors has announced a new strategic partnership with QGroup, a German specialist in comprehensive cybersecurity solutions and a developer of its own security solutions. With this investment, Pictet will become a long-term strategic partner of the company, which operates in highly critical environments.
The goal of the partnership is to strengthen QGroup in order to enhance cybersecurity for businesses in an increasingly complex environment over the long term. The investment is being made by the Direct Private Equity Team at Pictet Alternative Advisors, the alternative investments division of the Pictet Group.
QGroup was founded in 1993 and has been a leading provider of cybersecurity architectures, incident response services, managed security services, and highly secure operating models for more than three decades. The company serves clients worldwide with the highest security requirements—particularly in critical infrastructure (including KRITIS), government and regulatory contexts, as well as security-sensitive private-sector and industrial environments.
The market for cybersecurity products and services continues to grow strongly. This is due in particular to the continuously rising threat landscape and increasing regulatory requirements. Given the growing awareness among customers and increasingly stringent legal requirements, this positive trend is expected to continue in the future.
As part of the partnership, the experienced management team will remain unchanged. Shareholders Thomas Blumenthal, Melanie Blumenthal, and Daniel Persch will retain a significant stake in the company and will continue to lead QGroup in the future.
Nikolaus Hubmann, Head of DACH Direct Private Equity at Pictet Alternative Advisors, says: »With QGroup, we are gaining a partner that has decades of experience in developing and delivering high-security solutions and is a strong fit both technologically and culturally. The cybersecurity market offers exciting growth opportunities for technology- and research-driven companies—an environment in which QGroup is exceptionally well-positioned. The depth of their expertise and their responsible handling of highly sensitive client environments are a testament to their genuine quality and reliability. We look forward to our shared future with great enthusiasm.«
Thomas Blumenthal, founder and CEO of QGroup,, adds: »Our responsibility lies first and foremost with our clients and their security. Only a strong, resilient, and well-structured QGroup can fulfill this responsibility in the long term. In Pictet, we have found a partner who shares this vision and helps us further strengthen our impact and sustainability—without compromising our identity and values.«
About the Pictet Group & Pictet Alternative Advisors
The Pictet Group is a partner-managed firm whose principles governing ownership transfer and succession planning have remained unchanged since its founding in 1805. It operates exclusively in the areas of wealth management, asset management, alternative investment solutions, and asset services; it does not engage in investment banking or the lending business. With assets under management or in custody totaling CHF 737 (EUR 788/USD 926/GBP 688) billion as of September 30, 2025, the Pictet Group is now one of Europe’s leading independent asset managers for private and institutional clients.
The Group is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, where it was founded; it employs approximately 5,500 people and has 31 offices worldwide: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Basel, Brussels, Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, Lausanne, Lisbon, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Monaco, Montreal, Munich, Nassau, New York, Osaka, Paris, Rome, Shanghai, Singapore, Stuttgart, Taipei, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Turin, Verona, and Zurich.
Pictet Alternative Advisors (PAA) is an independent business unit of the Pictet Group that manages direct and indirect investments in hedge funds, private equity, and real estate for private and institutional clients. Pictet employs nearly 200 alternative investment experts and manages USD 52 billion, of which USD 27 billion is in private equity (as of the end of September 2025). Active in the private equity sector since 1989, PAA focuses on acquiring majority stakes in entrepreneur- or family-led companies with proven resilience and high growth potential.
About QGroup
QGroup GmbH is a German company specializing in cybersecurity and headquartered in Wehrheim (Hesse). The company was founded in 1993 by Thomas Blumenthal and has been operating exclusively in the field of cybersecurity for over three decades.
QGroup supports clients with the highest security requirements – including security agencies, military and government institutions, operators of critical infrastructure, and select private companies. A particular focus is on highly critical and regulated environments where technical excellence, autonomy, and reliability are absolutely essential.
A core area of QGroup’s services is incident response. As a qualified APT response service provider under § 3 of the German Federal Security Act (BSIG), QGroup has extensive experience in the technical, organizational, and forensic management of real-world cyberattacks. This operational depth shapes the company’s architectural decisions, products, and operating models.
In addition to consulting and other services, QGroup develops its own cybersecurity solutions, including on-premises architectures and security platforms designed to ensure control, transparency, and independence. The approach consistently follows the principle of »architecture before tools« and deliberately avoids black-box models and uncontrollable dependencies.
QGroup currently employs 52 people and operates internationally. The company pursues a long-term, responsibility-oriented approach and views cybersecurity not as a product, but as an ongoing endeavor that involves the interplay of technology, organization, and people.