The government and public services practice of Deloitte Consulting LLP has acquired "substantially all of the assets" of Gryphon Scientific LLC, a Takoma Park company that provided public heath research and consulting services to federal agencies.
Deloitte announced the deal on Monday and said that the addition of 60 people spanning Gryphon's scientists, programmers and policy professionals will strengthen Deloitte's capabilities in helping government agencies detect and respond to infectious disease threats, as well as issues in this domain that are emerging by using technologies like artificial intelligence.
The consulting giant's government and public services practice is based in Rosslyn, which is where these former Gryphon Scientific employees will work. Gryphon, founded in 2005, had been headquartered in the Takoma Business Center complex on Carroll Avenue, near the D.C. and Maryland border.
Deloitte declined to disclose an acquisition price.
In recent years, Gryphon has been using artificial intelligence alongside its research efforts to better understand risks that could exist from biological and chemical threats. It was an inaugural member of the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Consortium, which is managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
“The addition of Gryphon’s leadership and key professionals to the Deloitte team represents a significant enhancement to Deloitte’s data analytics and advanced technology capabilities," Beth Meagher, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP and U.S. federal health sector leader, said in a statement. "Our federal health practice is excited to lead the way for U.S. government and public services to push the boundaries and bring our clients to the forefront of AI-enabled, mission-driven work."
Gryphon Scientific as a brand no longer exists. Its website redirects to the Deloitte press release announcing the acquisition.
"As leaders in the [government and public services] space for almost 20 years, we’ve focused on applying our scientific understanding toward preventing and solving complex problems affecting public health and safety," Dr. Rocco Casagrande, Gryphon’s founder and executive chairman, added in a statement. "Together with Deloitte, we’ll further our mission of addressing some of the most critical issues in the life sciences facing the world today."
The acquisition is the latest bet Deloitte's government practice is making on AI and builds on the March 2021 opening of the Deloitte AI Institute for Government, a central hub that conducts research and gathers insights on how AI can be applied across government sectors.
