Innovate UK has announced that alumni of its Cyber Security Academic Startup Accelerator Programme (CyberASAP) have secured £47.4 million in post-programme funding over the past nine years, with 68% of this funding coming from private investment (including angel investment, venture capital and private equity funding).
As the UK competes globally in cyber security innovation amid escalating cyber threats, CyberASAP has demonstrated how government-backed research can be rapidly transformed into investable, high-growth cyber security companies. Funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and delivered by Innovate UK, the programme bridges the gap between academia and industry, accelerating the commercialisation of cutting-edge cyber technologies. Highlighting the programme’s success, DSIT has committed to a further £10m in additional funding to CyberASAP over the next four years.
To date, CyberASAP has supported academics from more than 80 universities across the UK to move beyond research and into the market, forming 42 companies, multiple acquisitions and resulting in cutting-edge cyber security technologies being licensed to industry. Their innovations are tackling urgent global challenges across cyber defence, AI and quantum security, digital education and edtech and workforce development, delivering practical solutions to protect data, infrastructure and society. 14 of this year’s finalists will showcase their innovative technology, alongside an alumni showcase, at the CyberASAP Demo Day on the 25th February 2026 in London.
Paul Wilkes, Partner at Osney Capital, who has invested in CyberASAP projects, said: “The talent and technologies emerging from UK universities are world-class and represent a significant opportunity for investors and the UK economy. As academics look to commercialise their inventions, founder-focused accelerators are critical. CyberASAP is a shining example of how to do this well.”
Dave Palmer, General Partner of Ten Eleven Ventures, who has also invested in CyberASAP projects, said: “The UK’s academic community has had an incredible impact on computing, cryptography, and cyber security stretching back 100 years. The CyberASAP programme now equips our brilliant academics with the best possible support to convert inventions and breakthroughs into scaled companies that can make businesses and citizens safer in the AI era.”
CyberASAP helps academics turn publicly funded research into emerging cyber security solutions, strengthening the UK’s digital resilience while driving growth in a high-value sector. With the UK cyber security market now worth an estimated £13.2 billion in 2025, CyberASAP supports the next generation of cyber leaders by helping academics transform their ideas into commercially viable ventures.
The CyberASAP programme is open to all UK universities, with a strong regional participation and 76% of projects originating from non-Russell Group institutions. So far, there have been over 200 participating projects, with 114 graduating, resulting in:
- 42 companies formed
- 3 acquisitions (Awen Collective acquired by Sapphire Technologies; Graphic Fuzz acquired by Google; Verifiable Credentials acquired by Crossword Cybersecurity)
- 3 alumni organisations licensing their technology to industry
- 21 projects from the last two years alone still actively in development/spinning-out, with many more in various stages of commercialisation
- 5 projects releasing their technology as open source.
Emma Fadlon, Co-Director of CyberASAP, Innovate UK Business Connect, said: “CyberASAP shows what’s possible when publicly funded research is matched with the right commercial support. Over nine years, the programme has helped academics from across the UK turn ideas into real-world impact, leveraging £47 million in follow-on investment, creating new companies and delivering a near four-to-one return on public funding. It’s a powerful example of how we build capability, resilience and growth in the UK’s cyber security ecosystem.”
This year’s cohort, who will present demos of their innovations at the CyberASAP Demo Day this week, is addressing a wide range of cyber security issues, including privacy, ransomware, quantum security, money laundering and the protection of children from harmful online content.
The event will also feature a showcase of high-performing alumni from earlier cohorts, highlighting teams that have successfully transitioned from proof of concept to investable cyber security ventures. These companies have gone on to secure follow-on funding and bring market-ready solutions to customers, offering investors early insight into commercially validated technologies emerging from UK universities.
The 2026 Alumni Showcase includes demos from Cavero Quantum, Cyber Innovations, CybPass, FACT360 and Pentestify.
Alum PingChen Lin, Co-Founder and CEO of CybPass, a University of Sheffield spin-out, said: “CyberASAP played a truly pivotal role in our journey, helping us leap from academic research into a company ready to solve real-world problems. It challenged our thinking, sharpened our focus on customers and regulation, and gave us the conviction to build CybPass into an investable cyber security venture tackling urgent AI assurance challenges. Returning to Demo Day feels deeply meaningful, a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come, and to proudly showcase the expanded vision we’re now bringing to market.”
