Bain & Company announces strategic collaboration with IBM to deliver post-quantum cryptography assessment to private equity and corporate clients

Collaboration pairs IBM Consulting's quantum safe transformation expertise with Bain's market leading capabilities in due diligence

BOSTON, March 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Bain & Company today announced it will work with IBM to deliver expertise to private equity and corporate clients on post-quantum cryptography risks and strategic mitigations.

The strategic collaboration brings together the companies' deep cybersecurity expertise including IBM Consulting's quantum-safe transformation services and Bain's market-leading capabilities in diligence to provide clients a state-of-the-art assessment of resilience in the fast-emerging post-quantum world. This will enable clients to take vital mitigation measures and integrate PQC into strategic and operational plans.

With quantum computing advancing rapidly from theoretical research to commercialization of real-world applications, the technology poses a credible and growing risk to current encryption standards that protect companies' sensitive data, proprietary expertise, and intellectual property. In turn, this could create substantial and material business and investment risks for private equity and corporate buyers.

Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) solutions can effectively mitigate these fast-evolving cybersecurity risks. However, recent Bain research found that while corporate tech leaders see PQC becoming an urgent necessity, few currently have a clear strategy in place to deliver the complex requirements.

In the longer-term, Bain and IBM expect to collaborate extensively on priority use-cases in the post-quantum environment in areas such as metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, and materials science.

"Quantum computing is moving from theory to reality. It also brings a hard deadline: many of today's encryption standards won't hold forever. Companies that start upgrading now will protect customers, protect value, and stay ahead of the risk," said Chuck Whitten, global head of Bain's digital practices and capabilities.

Whitten added: "Our collaboration with IBM strengthens our ability to help acquirers spot cryptography risk early and take action. Post-quantum readiness should be treated like any other critical technology risk in a deal, and we're excited to bring leading-edge capabilities to protecting client's businesses and investments."

Andy Baldwin, Senior Vice President of Offerings and Growth for IBM Consulting, said: "The move towards quantum‑ready security is becoming a near‑term priority for every organization that relies on cryptography to operate. Our collaboration with Bain provides clients with a clear quantum-safe roadmap, from identifying vulnerable assets to prioritizing remediation and executing a transition strategy, to help reduce risk ahead of the post-quantum era.

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Across 65 cities in 40 countries, we work alongside our clients as one team with a shared ambition to achieve extraordinary results, outperform the competition, and redefine industries. We complement our tailored, integrated expertise with a vibrant ecosystem of digital innovators to deliver better, faster, and more enduring outcomes. Our 10-year commitment to invest more than $1 billion in pro bono services brings our talent, expertise, and insight to organizations tackling today's urgent challenges in education, racial equity, social justice, economic development, and the environment. We earned a gold rating from EcoVadis, the leading platform for environmental, social, and ethical performance ratings for global supply chains, putting us in the top 2% of all companies. Since our founding in 1973, we have measured our success by the success of our clients, and we proudly maintain the highest level of client advocacy in the industry. 

SOURCE Bain & Company