
The McLean Group served as exclusive financial advisor to Highlight Technologies, a Fairfax, Virginia-based, employee-owned federal IT services firm, on its acquisition by Empower AI, a KKR portfolio company.
TYSONS, Va., July 6, 2026 — Empower AI, a portfolio company of KKR, announced today that it has acquired Highlight Technologies, Inc., expanding its ability to deliver AI-driven, cloud-enabled mission solutions across the federal government.
The combination strengthens capabilities in DevSecOps, artificial intelligence, data management, and cloud modernization, while broadening support for high-priority modernization initiatives at the Departments of State and Homeland Security.
The transaction brings together Empower AI’s accelerator-based model for scalable AI delivery with Highlight’s mission-focused execution and its proprietary AIDE (AI Data Integration & Orchestration Engine) platform.
“Highlight Technologies brings exceptional talent, proven technology, and deep agency relationships that will meaningfully expand what we can deliver to our customers.”
“Empower AI and Highlight Technologies are a natural fit,” the companies said in announcing the transaction. “Empower AI’s AI-first approach, paired with Highlight’s deep agency expertise, creates the platform and scale to deliver even greater impact for the missions we serve.”
The acquisition marks a first for Empower AI on several fronts — its first transaction since KKR acquired majority ownership in the fall of 2022, and the first under Jeff Bohling’s tenure as CEO.
The transaction was effective July 6, 2026. Terms were not disclosed. The McLean Group acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Highlight Technologies on this transaction.
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