Tuesday 20th January marked the date of the first Hub8 Connect event – an opportunity for founders and innovators to assemble for an action-packed day featuring lively discussions, one-to-one workshops and networking opportunities. A key objective for the day was to connect the tech community – echoing one of the main goals of the MX Innovation Centre opened in 2024 by Cheltenham Borough Council and Hub8, which Plexal has a majority shareholding in.
The day kicked off with a session featuring NCSC For Startups alumni getting together to share their experiences navigating founder challenges. Featuring deep dives on several topics around founder challenges, including frank discussions around the hardships and realities of building a startup as well as the personal and professional pressures of the founder journey. The open and honest dialogue which followed, facilitated by Dave Palmer, General Partner of Ten Eleven Ventures, highlighted some of the barriers founders faced around three key areas: investor relations and funding dynamics, market positioning and brand strategy and geopolitical intelligence and alliances.
The meaningful and honest feedback founders were able to give each other around these topics was so engaging that participants felt that the entire day could be spent addressing these issues. However, the eventful schedule meant that it was time for the day to move on to the key lunchtime session at the Hub8 MX Innovation Centre.
Facilitated by Lisa Perkins, CPO and Director of Technology Innovation at Plexal, the dynamic discussion featured members of the NCSC For Startups alumni, Cyber Runway: Grow cohort members and the wider tech ecosystem in the Cheltenham area and beyond.
Andrew Roughan, CEO of Plexal, joined the packed room over video call and kicked off the discussion with a reminder of the address from new MI6 Chief, Blais Metreweli, just before the new year. During this, she mentioned that “the frontline is everywhere” and that we need “a whole society approach to national security”. Sentiments echoed by the Chief of Defence, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, in his own speech later that very same day. Andrew’s question for our audience followed: “Communities like ours can’t afford not to act, so what do we do?”
The lively discussion which followed highlighted some of the key topics and opportunities for innovation in the national defence landscape:
Skills
A recurring theme in the room was the urgent need to widen the UK’s cyber and tech skills pipeline – starting far earlier than universities and with much more consistency than what’s currently available. Participants highlighted the opportunity for industry professionals to lean in and help inspire and upskill the next generation, ensuring that young people gain real exposure to the technologies shaping national security. Despite the challenges, there was strong optimism that communities like ours can play a meaningful role in accelerating this progress.
Technology pace
Attendees also spoke candidly about the difficulty of keeping pace with technology that evolves faster than traditional organisations can assess or adopt it. While this creates friction for both innovators and end‑users, the conversation repeatedly returned to the opportunity to shift mindsets, streamline processes and champion quicker, more confident adoption of proven tools. The room agreed that with the right cultural change, rapid innovation can become an engine for momentum rather than a barrier.
Procurement barriers
Finally, procurement emerged as a familiar but solvable pressure point for founders, particularly when navigating long cycles and complex routes to deployment. Contributors noted that many trusted technologies are ready for use today and that faster, more pragmatic pathways (especially for solutions already validated in high‑assurance environments) would unlock enormous value for organisations and innovators alike. The collective view was that with clearer models, smarter risk‑taking and better support mechanisms, procurement can evolve into a far more enabling force.
Later in the afternoon, Hub8 Connect attendees dropped in for one-to-one sessions with HCR Law, Jack Chapman from KnowBe4, Dave Palmer, InfiniteCFO, AmicusHR and the Growth Partnership team from Plexal. This facilitated further connections and allowed the founders to take a deeper dive into topics relevant to their businesses.
As the day drew to a close, what really stood out was the collective drive within this community to turn insight into action. Whether discussing skills, technology adoption or procurement challenges, the conversations were grounded in realism but fuelled by a clear sense of shared purpose. It was encouraging to see founders, alumni and local innovators not only highlight the blockers but also volunteer solutions, perspectives and support for one another.
The enthusiasm carried into the final networking session, where new introductions were made and collaborations began to take shape. If the energy in the room is anything to go by, 2026 is already shaping up to be a year of meaningful progress for our ecosystem–powered by the people who show up, speak up and push forward.
We’re already looking ahead to continuing these conversations and building on the momentum. The next Hub8 Connect event takes place on Thursday 26th February and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back to Cheltenham for another day of insight, ideas and community‑driven innovation.
