CyberASAP Demo Day to unveil promising UK cyber solutions

Cybersecurity investors will be presented with innovative solutions at the CyberASAP Demo Day in London, which marks the culmination of an 11-month accelerator programme.

The event will showcase 14 projects that have successfully completed the CyberASAP programme, funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and delivered by Innovate UK. Participants in this pre-seed accelerator programme aim to bring cutting-edge developments to the cybersecurity industry.

The CyberASAP Demo Day, now in its eighth year, will feature a keynote speech from Dr Stella Peace, Interim Executive Chair at Innovate UK. Alumni from previous years have collectively generated over GBP £40 million following the programme, highlighting the potential of innovations from this year's cohort.

Attendees, including investors and commercial collaborators, will have the opportunity to network and engage with emerging cybersecurity projects. They will gain insights into Proofs of Concepts and commercial pitches, as well as a unique view of these solutions before commercialisation.

This year's finalists include promising projects such as GridGuardian from the University of Sheffield, MetaGuard from Aston University, and VeriBee from The University of Manchester, each focusing on various aspects of cybersecurity ranging from protection for energy infrastructures to enhanced software security testing.

Robin Kennedy and Emma Fadlon, co-leaders of the CyberASAP programme, stated, "The CyberASAP programme has always been first and foremost, a programme designed to facilitate industry collaboration between some of the brightest cybersecurity minds and investors. Over our eight years running the programme, our alumni have made leaps and bounds, with 32 companies created, three acquisitions completed – including Google, and a further three licenses achieved."

They further commented, "Our latest Demo Day looks to continue the fantastic work that has come out of the CyberASAP programme, and help shed light on the UK's most promising cybersecurity innovations. This truly is an unmissable opportunity for interested investors to see these projects first-hand before they reach commercialisation."

Paul Wilkes, Partner at Osney Capital and previous investor, remarked, "The UK's cybersecurity innovation ecosystem is at an exciting time; the talent and technology is world-class. This opportunity owes much of its thanks to CyberASAP. Talented academics with incredible technology alone are not enough, and the training and preparation the programme offers to help cyber founders commercialise their ideas is an essential ingredient. We at Osney Capital are proud to have a small role in supporting the team in their good work that continues to demonstrate amazing value for the UK economy and resilient digital economies across the globe."

Another testament to the programme's impact comes from Mark Bishop, Chief Scientific Adviser at FACT360, who is an alumni member from Year 3. He noted, "I cannot overestimate the value I obtained from CyberASAP. As an academic, locked in my ivory tower before engaging with the programme, I had zero knowledge of the possibilities within the business world. The training provided by CyberASAP was greatly beneficial and uniformly of a high standard. For me, participation in CyberASAP was a life-changing experience."

The full list of finalists for this year's Demo Day includes projects from various universities, tackling a range of challenges in cybersecurity, from fintech to healthcare and beyond. The diverse lineup reflects the breadth of innovation fostered by the CyberASAP programme.