CyberASAP alumni take first and third place at Cyber Den

We’re proud to share that two CyberASAP alumni were placed in the top three at this year’s Cyber Den at CyberUK, a standout achievement for the programme and a strong endorsement of the innovation coming through the programme.

Taking first place was Mindgard, a Year 6 CyberASAP graduate leading the way in AI-powered cybersecurity. Their solution leverages advanced machine learning to protect against adversarial threats in quantum and high-performance computing environments.

Coming in third place was Hacktivity Cyber Security Labs, also from Year 6, who are developing interactive, gamified cybersecurity training platforms designed to build real-world cyber skills in a safe and engaging environment.

We’ve always believed in the power of academic research to drive meaningful innovation. To see two of our alumni take top honours at CyberUK is not only a proud moment, it’s proof of what CyberASAP was created to do.

– Robin Kennedy Co-Director of CyberASAP

CyberASAP presence at Cyber Den

In total, six CyberASAP alumni were selected to exhibit in the SME Innovation Zone at CyberUK, further highlighting the programme’s significant contribution to the UK’s cyber innovation landscape:

• Mindgard (Year 6) – 1st Place
• Hacktivity (Year 6) – 3rd Place
• Vouchsec (Year 7)
• FORENSIC (Year 7)
• CyberSecurityAId (Year 7)
• OSIRT (Year 5)

Emma Fadlon, Co-Director of CyberASAP was especially pleased to see that Mindgard’s pitch resonated so strongly with the judging panel. Since graduating from the programme they have raised $14 million in equity investment. “MIndgard’s trajectory is further confirmation of the importance of targeted commercialisation support for cutting edge academic research innovations. It is a very competitive landscape for investment and they are well positioned to grow and scale.”

Looking ahead

The need for novel cyber solutions is only increasing in our digital economy and the UK’s academic base is a great source of novel products and services across the cyber ecosystem.

The success of Mindgard and Hacktivity not only reinforces CyberASAP’s role in nurturing commercially viable, research-led innovation, but also serves as inspiration to the current Year 9 cohort and alumni alike.

“This kind of recognition validates years of hard work from founders, researchers, and support teams alike. We couldn’t be more thrilled,” added Emma.

Congratulations again to all our exhibiting alumni, and especially to our winning teams, for showing what CyberASAP alumni can achieve on the national stage.

About Cyber Den

Cyber Den is a highlight of the CyberUK conference, hosted by the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The competition brings together a curated group of high-potential cyber startups to pitch live in front of investors, industry leaders, and government decision-makers.

About CyberASAP

Now in its ninth year, the Cyber Security Academic Startup Accelerator Programme (CyberASAP) provides academics with the expertise, knowledge and training needed to convert their research into technologies, products and services in this key sector of the global economy. The programme creates a pipeline to move great cyber security ideas out of the university lab and into the commercial market.

CyberASAP is funded by the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and delivered by Innovate UK.

If you would like to be kept informed about the programme, whether as an investor, industrial supporter or academic participant, please register your interest.