Cyber security has been central to Plexal’s work since launch, from LORCA and Cyber Runway through to NCSC For Startups and CyberBoost. So, discovering CyberUK 2025 would be held in Manchester, where our North West team is based in the Digital Security Hub (DiSH), there wasn’t any doubt we’d attend the UK Government’s flagship cyber security event.
CyberUK, with its crowd of 2,000 professionals, was the ideal opportunity to demonstrate our support for the local cyber security community and simultaneously connect with peers and organisations from other parts of the country and overseas.
Ahead of CyberUK, Manchester was also the chosen destination for our Cyber Runway Live event with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. It’s fitting CyberUK and Plexal selected the North West this year, as the 2025 cyber security sectoral analysis found the region generated the highest proportion of external investment for the first time.
These complementary factors combined, we were thrilled to host CyberUK’s Regional Startups Zone, understanding intimately what our local innovators are working on. As part of our sponsorship, we welcomed 11 startups from the North West to join us at CyberUK, each occupying a stand in our zone, with innovators including:
- APH10, which delivers cyber engineering, scientific and technical consulting.
- BigByte Digital, a software development and digital service delivery provider.
- Cyber Defence Service, a specialist in cyber, radio frequency and electromagnetic environments.
- Cyber Escape Room Co., which develops innovative, interactive learning experiences to support ongoing security awareness.
- Cytix, a continuous security testing platform.
- ESProfiler, a platform for security leaders to maximise return on their security investments continuously.
- Everlink, which provides presence verification through ultrasound.
- Fuzzy Labs uses open-source machine learning operations to help build and productionise AI models.
- Wolf Network Security, an approachable and transparent cyber security consultancy providing penetration testing.
- Yudu Sentinel, which keeps vital business communications and processes running during disruption and emergency situations.
- zally, a behavioural biometrics company providing continuous user authentication.
The speech from Pat McFadden MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, came equipped with warnings as he reflected on the recent wave of cyber attacks that have crashed upon large UK firms such as Harrods and M&S. “Whether it is a system failure or a deliberate attack, no organisation can afford to treat cyber security as an afterthought,” the Chancellor declared.
Notably, the rise of AI has been cause for both celebration and concern alike, with cyber security of AI occupying a key role to play in this regard.
Plexal is a partner of the Laboratory for AI Security Research (LASR) and we were excited to hear the Chancellor discuss our collective aim across private and public sectors to accelerate innovation and research into how AI can protect our national security.
Breaking news about our collective work, he detailed: “I’m pleased to announce [LASR] has agreed a new partnership with one of the biggest tech companies in the world, Cisco. They are going to be collaborating with GCHQ and the NCSC, and other partners to expand the research and innovation capacity of the Lab.
“They will be running challenges across the UK, and build a demonstrator here in the North West to showcase how our scientists and entrepreneurs can work together to manage the risks, build the skills and grasp the opportunities of AI security.
“This is the first collaboration of its kind with LASR… and it will help LASR drive cutting-edge research into the impact of AI on national security.”
Leaning into the positive and the cyber sector’s ability to generate growth, the Chancellor added: “There is enormous potential for cyber security to be a driving force in our economy.” He proceeded to highlight the Cheltenham area, where Plexal has collaborated with Cheltenham Borough Council to fuel business growth and nurture the tech ecosystem through the MX Innovation Centre – a complement to the Golden Valley district being delivered by our friends at HBD.
“We are already making some big investments like the £1bn going into a new state-of-the-art Golden Valley campus near GCHQ’s Cheltenham office,” the Chancellor said. “That site alone is expected to create 12,000 jobs and be home to hospitality, retail businesses, as well as 3,700 new homes. It is all growth.”
As testament to our work with the National Cyber Security Centre, we were pleased to receive a visit from NCSC CEO Richard Horne at our Regional Startups Zone.
In his opening keynote speech, he said: “It is my huge privilege to welcome you to Manchester…a city that is propelling the innovation we need for Britain’s growth.” Richard proceeded to point to areas including Cyber Essentials, the threat scale, adversaries including China, Russia and Iran, AI and ransomware before arriving at partnerships.
He continued: “We must remember in the face of these challenges…that the contest for cyber security is not about any of us working in isolation. Our adversaries see us as an interconnected system. And so, we need to respond not as individuals, but as a movement, working in synergy to defend ourselves – and our way of life.”
You can watch his speech below.
Elsewhere, David Koh, CEO of the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) of Singapore also attended our Regional Cyber Startups Zone, connecting with our guest startups Fuzzy Labs and ESProfiler. The CSA Singapore is a key partner of the Talent, Innovation and Growth Centre in Singapore, for which Plexal delivers the CyberBoost Catalyse programme to help innovative companies expand in Singapore, Asia Pacific and beyond. Sharing his experience during CyberUK, David participated in the international plenary alongside speakers from NCSC, GCHQ, Google Cloud and more, as the group explored unpredictable geopolitics, escalating cyber threats, critical national infrastructureand how the UK can learn from overseas peers.
Sharing her thoughts on CyberUK, Monika Radclyffe, Senior Director at Plexal, concluded: “CyberUK is the place to be for all cyber security professionals. It was a pleasure to connect with new and familiar faces alike, all of whom were engaged and committed to the NCSC mission of making the UK the safest place to live and work online. It’s encouraging to hear Richard’s comments around responding to threats as a movement, a collective, which aligns with our overall belief at Plexal, where we understand the value of coming together – government, startups, industry and academia – and solving challenges as one.”
