Government-backed innovation programme delivered by
Plexal selects 20 companies to join its fourth cohort
Automation, zero-trust defence and supply chain risk emerge as prominent themes among the cutting-edge solutions. The London Office for Rapid Cybersecurity Advancement (LORCA) today announces the 20 scaleups selected to join its fourth cohort of cyber innovators. The latest group is LORCA’s largest and most international yet, including companies using technologies such as automation and quantum to protect UK industry against the latest threats.
Automation and AI-based
products recur regularly throughout the list of chosen cohort members, as industry
searches for more efficient methods to fight off machine-speed threats, while
quantum and cryptography, zero-trust
technologies and supply chain risk analysis solutions are also
prevalent.
Although the majority of businesses
selected are British, the fourth iteration of the programme also saw a number
of international applications reflected in the final cohort, which includes firms
from Israel, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, Singapore and the US.
Delivered by Plexal, the innovation centre at Here East in London’s
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the year-long programme will support the 20 new companies
to scale, secure investment, access new markets and participate in overseas
trade missions, with the ultimate aim of growing the British cybersecurity industry
and making the UK the safest place to be online.
LORCA takes zero equity or IP in the scaleups, which will also receive technical
and commercial support from the programme’s delivery partner Deloitte and
engineering expertise from the Centre for Secure Information Technologies
(CSIT) at Queen’s University Belfast. They will also benefit from engaging closely
with industry, including directly with LORCA’s corporate partners as well as
through events, LORCA’s forums and through introductions to LORCA’s
international network.
After launching in June 2018
with backing from the Department from the Department for Digital, Culture,
Media & Sport, LORCA has gone from strength to strength and has now
enrolled 55 companies into its programme, which have collectively gone on to secure
£58m in investment. For example, notable LORCA successes during
2019 included Privitar
and Crypto Quantique securing $40m and $8m funding rounds respectively.
ThinkCyber was also selected as a finalist in the NYCx Moonshot Cyber
Challenge, while CyberOwl won a contract with the Ministry of Defence.
The latest cohort includes
scaleups with a range of cutting-edge solutions, which were invited to apply
based on three innovation themes identified by industry leaders from various
sectors:
- Connected
Economy: Our post-breach economy is
more connected than ever, presenting new challenges for businesses that must
stay resilient against threats targeting them directly, but also those
impacting their supply chains and networks. Cybersecurity isn’t just about data
protection – it’s key to enabling sustainable growth.
- Connected
Everything: The challenge of securing
millions of devices is stark, but this is heightening exponentially as the digital
and physical worlds converge. From transport systems to the National Grid, the
world around us must be secured at every access point if society is to adopt a
digitally enabled, efficient infrastructure without risking human safety.
- Connected
Everyone: From disinformation to
political interference, cyber threats have evolved beyond issues of corporate
reputation and are having an increasing impact on society. Cybersecurity
technologies must adapt to this shift, as a crucial part of the solution to some
of the biggest ethical questions facing us. As data becomes the new currency
for today’s digital citizen, cybersecurity must build trust in technology among
the population.
Saj Huq, Programme
Director, LORCA, said: “LORCA exists to bring cutting-edge technology to market
and to enable the most promising cyber innovators become globally competitive
businesses. The international reach and the variety of solutions within our
incoming fourth cohort is an exciting demonstration of both the strength and
attractiveness of the UK market, as well as an illustration of the increasingly
prominent role that LORCA plays as a convener and collaborator within the
global innovation ecosystem.”
The full list of companies
enrolling in the latest cohort can be found below:
- Acreto
Acreto
delivers a Security-as-a-Utility capability that protects distributed and
mobile platforms. It can help you protect any technology, operating on any type
of network, from anywhere.
The
company’s patented technology allows organisations to securely move highly
sensitive or classified data from on-premises storage to the public cloud,
while retaining their data sovereignty.
This
cloud-based security platform can expand perimeter defence beyond the
enterprise network, providing cloud-delivered protection for devices.
Contingent
is an AI-powered enterprise platform that quickly reduces the enormous burden
of collecting, verifying and monitoring supply chain risk data.
Continuum
Security helps companies build secure software by embedding security in the
design of their systems.
Darkbeam’s
non-invasive threat reconnaissance platform gives you digital risk insights in
seconds.
This
cyber company builds products that anticipate threatscape trends. Its proactive
security suite helps individuals and organisations protect their valuable data.
Keyless
is a deeptech cybersecurity company that’s building the world’s first
privacy-preserving biometric authentication and personal identity management
platform which eliminates the need for businesses to centrally store and manage
biometric data, passwords, and any other sensitive information without
compromising on convenience or privacy.
The
data security company equips organisations with the tools they need to secure
and protect highly confidential documents and data.
- L7 Defence
The
company’s solution autonomously monitors, detects and blocks API attacks to a
very high level of accuracy, freeing security teams from managing endless
configurations and rules.
- Orpheus
The
company’s award-winning technologies collect huge volumes of cyber risk data,
which they analyse using machine learning and a highly skilled team to enable
you to stop your cyber risks before they happen.
- Osirium
Specialising
in privileged access security, the company’s software allows customers to
securely and cost-effectively manage all privileged access and automate complex
business and IT processes.
- Risk Ledger
Risk
Ledger’s vendor risk management solution combines a secure social network with
a risk management platform. This enables organisations to run a gold standard
risk assurance programme against their vendors while making it easy for vendors
to respond.
- ShieldIOT
ShieldIOT
enables integrators and service providers to secure large-scale critical IoT
networks in settings such as smart cities, smart grid and transportation.
- SureCert
SureCert’s
digital identity platform makes background checking for recruitment and ID
verification quicker and more efficient. Like a credit check, it turns personal
information into a score, making sure that sensitive personal information is
kept securely.
- ThreatAware
Helping
companies monitor and manage their cyber protection in real time, ThreatAware
is a single pane of glass on every aspect of an organisation’s cybersecurity – including all hardware, software, cloud services and
IT compliance standards.
- ThunderCipher (Licel)
The
company provides application shielding solutions to clients around the world,
from fintech to government to medtech, military, aerospace and beyond.
- Variti
Variti
specialises in malicious bot detection and associated shielding technologies,
especially for the verticals most at risk such as ecommerce, media,
entertainment and financial sectors. It protects websites, apps and APIs from
fraud and attacks without affecting the end user.
- VIVIDA
VIVIDA combines storytelling and interactive
virtual reality to develop the most impactful cybersecurity awareness and
education. Its VR experiences are designed to change attitudes and behaviour,
make cybersecurity play a bigger role in a company’s culture and reduce the
risk factor.
The
company helps organisations darken their networks and prevent cyber attacks
with invisible network access gates which only materialise when certain trust
standards are met. Its technology makes connectivity within enterprises (and
their supply chains) easier to arrange and safer to operate by ensuring
connecting systems are completely invisible to third parties.
Paul
Branley, Director of Strategy, Innovation & Testing at Lloyds Banking Group,
said:
“Lloyds
Banking Group partnered with the London Office for Rapid Cyber Security
Advancement (LORCA) in June 2018 and have most recently been involved in the
cohort 4 selection of cyber companies. These innovators have highlighted the
current quality and breadth of cyber skills within the UK market. Lloyds
Banking Group continues to collaborate and partner with LORCA as we recognise
that incremental change isn’t enough and we need a transformative approach to
keep ahead of the threat. The cohort selection event allows us early access to
cutting edge technologies and innovators, ultimately supporting our ambition to
solve cybersecurity challenges and support our business strategy to Help
Britain Prosper.”
Stephen Wray, Director of Cyber Risk Services,
Deloitte, said: “We continue to be impressed and
inspired by the quality and volume of applicants to LORCA. This fourth cohort
highlights some outstanding products and solutions that seek to address the
complex cyber challenges facing our clients today. Deloitte’s dedicated cyber
team will continue to provide technical and market expertise to the latest
cohort, supporting the development of cyber innovation.”
Louise Cushnahan,
Head of Innovation, CSIT, said:
“Our
academic and engineering staff have a strong track record in supporting UK
cyber security companies. In recent years almost 100 have benefited from our
expertise to scale-up and deliver truly novel solutions to global markets with
recent government figures showing that UK cyber security exports topped £2bn
for the first time. The breadth of this cohort represents a rich opportunity to
deliver further economic, technological and societal outcomes for CSIT’s
cutting edge research and innovation in the area of Secure Connected
Intelligence.”
Notes to editors
For
media enquiries, please contact: plexal@wearesevenhills.com
About LORCA
LORCA’s objective is to grow the UK’s cybersecurity sector and make the
internet safer for everyone by supporting the most promising later-stage
companies. Through its forums, programmes and events, it convenes academia,
innovators, government, investors and industry (including partners Lloyds
Banking Group, Dell Technologies, Kudelski Security and the Global Cyber
Alliance) into a cross-sector, non-competitive and collaborative ecosystem.
Designed and delivered by the Plexal innovation team, LORCA’s
12-month accelerator programmes are matched to each cohort’s needs. Members
benefit from international trade delegations, opportunities to engage with
industry, mentoring and workshops on everything from marketing to scaling
globally. They also benefit from engineering, commercial and technical support
from delivery partners Deloitte and CSIT.
LORCA launched in
June 2018 with backing from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media
& Sport (DCMS) as part of the Government’s five-year, £1.9 billion National
Cyber Security Strategy. LORCA is tasked with supporting
72 scaling companies, creating up to 2,000 jobs and securing £40m in investment
by 2021.
Since then, companies from cohorts
one, two and three have raised over £58m in investment and won 514 contracts.
Notable success stories include cyber company ZoneFox being acquired by
Fortinet, CyberOwl winning a contract with the Ministry of Defence as a result
of being involved with the programme and working with delivery partner Deloitte
and Privatar raising $40m in a Series B round.
About
Plexal
Plexal
is an innovation centre and coworking space located in the fast-growing Here
East technology and innovation campus in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Collaboration is at the heart of Plexal’s
approach to innovation. Its innovation team delivers bespoke programmes for
clients like Innovate UK and Transport for London, and specialises in forging
connections between industry, academia, investors, startups and scaleups to
tackle some of the biggest challenges facing society while getting ideas market-ready.
Plexal has been appointed by the Department
for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport to deliver the London Office for Rapid
Cybersecurity Advancement (LORCA): an innovation programme aimed at scaling
cybersecurity solutions that are needed most by industry.
It’s also delivered OpenDoor: an inclusion
accelerator aimed at scaling solutions that can make society and our economy
more inclusive while addressing the challenges of under-represented groups.
Designed as a mini-city (it has its own indoor
park, a high street, indoor street food and a prototyping workshop), startup
and scaleup members of Plexal’s workspace benefit from a comprehensive
programme of events and in-house professional services. Members work in areas
like mobility, AI, healthtech, cybersecurity, fintech, the Internet of Things,
VR and more.
Plexal was launched in 2017 and was founded by
clients of specialist real estate investment advisory company Delancey.
For more information visit: plexal.com
About Deloitte
In this press release references
to “Deloitte” are references to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited
(“DTTL”) a UK private company limited by guarantee, and its network of member
firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see
deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of DTTL
and its member firms.
Deloitte LLP is a subsidiary of Deloitte NSE LLP, which is a member firm of
DTTL, and is among the UK’s leading professional services firms.
The information contained in this press release is correct at the time of going
to press.
For more information, please visit www.deloitte.co.uk.
About the Centre for Secure Information
Technologies (CSIT)
The
Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), Queen’s University Belfast,
is the UK’s Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) for cybersecurity, and the
UK’s largest cybersecurity focused university technology research, development
and innovation centre. The theme of CSIT’s research roadmap is “Secure Connected
Intelligence”. CSIT is researching the new technologies needed for the seamless
integration of electronic security into future Smart Cities and Internet of
Things (IoT), including:
•
quantum-safe cryptographic architectures
•
malware detection methods that can counteract advanced evasion technologies
•
securing highly distributed networks for critical infrastructures
•
AI-enabled security analytics to provide to real-time threat indicators
CSIT
brings a unique approach to academic engagement and delivering impact with
industry in the UK and further afield. An Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) of
companies and strategic government partners plays a key role in defining the
research challenges undertaken by CSIT, whilst a cadre of industrially
experienced engineers help accelerate innovation to market. This creates
collaborative opportunities for researchers to work with start-ups, scale-ups
and large corporations and on solving societal challenges. CSIT is involved in
delivering three national cyber security innovation programmes namely; CSIT
Labs, HutZero and Cyber101.
For more information, visit: https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/CSIT/