17th April 2015

Cyber London (CyLon), https://cylonlab.com, has today opened its doors for the first time, welcoming the successful teams to Europe’s first cyber security accelerator programme. Six startups, selected from a strong field of applicants, are developing technologies ranging from biometric identity management and automated network defence to big data analysis and visualisation. CyLon combines a business accelerator programme and a physical ‘incubator space’. A three month curriculum and experienced volunteer mentors will help a new generation of entrepreneurs to build businesses around cyber security technology with global applications.

Speaking at the opening, CyLon co-founder Alex van Someren of Amadeus Capital Partners said: “I’m delighted we have selected six top-quality cyber security companies in the first CyLon cohort. Furthermore, the fact that two other highly-respected cyber security SMEs are joining us will add a lot to the experience of all the companies involved. The standard of applications was extremely high, confirming our belief that the UK is well-placed to play a major role in this vital and growing sector of the global digital economy.”

In his address to the event, Sir Iain Lobban, Director of GCHQ until November 2014, said: “Cyber security is one of the most challenging issues of our generation: in this smart, connected world, the safeguarding of computer networks and the protection of privileged information, whether institutional or personal, are absolutely essential. CyLon is a great example of how we can identify, nurture and apply the creativity that is blooming in the UK cyber security sector. I feel privileged to see this accelerator take off, and I intend to stay close to it so I can witness this dynamic project evolve and help to support a secure and vibrant cyber space.”

At the opening party the CyLon teams were presented to the partners, sponsors, and supporters of the initiative, before taking part in the first formal element of the programme, a networking session with their fellow CyLon participants.

The six selected teams in the first CyLon cohort are:

• AimBrain: Mobile behavioural biometrics software framework: a seamless security layer which tracks how users interact with their device.

• Cyber Defence Technologies: A BYOD solution which creates a separate and secure environment on personal mobile devices to be managed by the employer.

• Cyberlytic: Real-time risk assessment of cyber-attacks to help security teams triage alerts and reduce response times from days to minutes.

• Intruder: Mirrors the activities of cyber attackers without the noise produced by vulnerability scanners and penetration test companies. Helping companies find the needle, not the haystack.

• Mentat Innovations: Machine learning in motion: scalable, robust, autonomous intelligence for detecting anomalous behaviour through metadata processing in the Internet of Everything.

• Ruuta: A social router that solves the everyday problems people have with their Internet boxes.

Stuart Laidlaw, CEO of Cyberlytic, said: “We are delighted to have been selected for the first CyLon programme, which offers us a fantastic platform to grow our business into a leading global cyber security provider.  We are really looking forward to starting at CyLon.”

In addition, two established cyber-security companies, Ripjar and SQR Systems, have chosen to base themselves at CyLon’s unique facility, so as to enjoy the benefits of co-working with the other teams.

• Ripjar: Making sense of complex data at scale, and applying state of the art analytics to help highlight and identify insights.

• SQR Systems: Secure voice, video and messaging using a combined encryption and compression technology for end-to-end security.

Tom Griffin, CEO of Ripjar, one of the participating SMEs said:

“This is a great opportunity for Ripjar to join a dynamic community of innovators at CyLon, to learn from leaders in the field, and to share our own experiences as we build on our success to date.”

CyLon is supported by sponsorship from Raytheon, a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world

CyLon’s state-of-the-art facilities in Hammersmith are hosted by Winton.  Participating teams, all of whom receive a significant cash stipend from CyLon, will be put through their paces by programme managers from Ignite, strengthening all areas of their product and proposition during the 14 weeks of the programme. They will also benefit from mentoring support delivered by an array of industry and academic experts.  Additional support will come from programme partners and sponsors, including Winton, Fried Frank, and Freshfields.

About the CyLon programme
The CyLon accelerator will combine intensive collaboration, professional training and mentorship, drawing upon the expertise of seasoned entrepreneurs, academic cybersecurity researchers, government officials and senior executives of customer organisations.

CyLon accepts applications from entrepreneurial teams with innovative business ideas in the broad field of information and communications, aka ‘cyber’, security.

Successful applicants receive a per capita cost of living allowance of £5,000 for the duration of the programme. No equity is taken by CyLon in the companies selected.

CyLon will open applications for its second programme, commencing Q4 2015, in summer 2015.

CyLon Founders
CyLon has been founded through the collaboration of an experienced team of cyber security practitioners, entrepreneurship and public policy experts, and professional investors.

• Alex van Someren is Managing Partner of Early Stage Funds at venture capital firm Amadeus Capital Partners. He is currently a member of the Royal Society Cyber Security Research Steering Group, has been an expert panel member for the Government Chief Scientific Advisor’s report on the Internet of Things^[1], and has advised the Cabinet Office on commercialisation of UK National Security assets. Previously, Alex co-founded UK cryptography company nCipher plc, which was acquired by Thales SA in 2008. Alex was appointed an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge in 2005.
• Jonathan Luff and Grace Cassy are co-founders of Epsilon Advisory Partners who share 25 years of foreign, security and innovation policy experience in the UK Government, including at No.10 Downing Street.  Epsilon works with leading technology companies to grow their business and expand internationally through innovative commercial, intellectual and social partnerships.

Location
CyLon’s business incubator is hosted in spacious 4,000 sq. ft. facilities generously provided by Winton in Hammersmith, West London, offering fully furnished office space, breakout and meeting areas, a 130-seater auditorium and on-site catering.

Notes for Editors
The CyLon founding sponsors, who provide financial and in-kind support to the participating teams, are as follows:

Amadeus Capital Partners has, since 1997, established a reputation as one of Europe’s leading technology investors.  Since its inception, the firm has raised over £600m for investment and backed more than 90 companies in communications technology, cleantech, medtech, financial services, software, digital media and e-commerce, many of which sell into global markets.  Major businesses built by Amadeus include CSR (LSE:CSR), the leading producer of single chip Bluetooth radios for short range connections; Solexa, the developer of next generation genetic analysis systems, merged into Illumina (ILMN) to create the world-leader in gene-sequencing technology; and Transmode (ST:TRMO), an optical networking solutions business. For more information, please visithttps://www.amadeuscapital.com.

Epsilon Advisory Partners is a strategic advisory firm, based in London. Epsilon works with a select group of outstanding technology companies to help grow their business and expand internationally through innovative commercial, intellectual and social partnerships. For more information please visit http://epsilonap.com.

Raytheon Company, with 2014 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 93 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems; as well as a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.

Winton is an institutional investment management company specialising in mathematical analysis of financial time series and portfolios. With offices in London, Hong Kong, New York, Oxford, Sydney and Zurich, Winton has around 400 employees and in excess of $30 billion dollars under management. https://www.wintoncapital.com

International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP’s global cyber security team helps companies with the full range of legal and regulatory-related cyber security risks. The team protects clients’ businesses and their reputations by advising on compliance strategies, litigation defence, regulatory action, crisis liability management and cyber security due diligence.  It works with leading forensic and security consultants to offer integrated legal and technical risk mitigation advice, and draws on the strength of its leading global investigations and crisis management practices, to address cyber security both proactively and after an incident.  www.freshfields.com/en/global

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP is a leading international law firm with offices in New York; Washington, DC; London; Paris; Frankfurt; Hong Kong; and Shanghai. Approximately 450 Fried Frank lawyers regularly serve the world’s leading corporations and financial institutions with regard to their most critical legal needs and business opportunities. More information can be found at www.friedfrank.com.

CyLon Programme Managers
Managed by Ignite, the UK’s leading seed accelerator programme, the CyLon accelerator programme will deliver a structured curriculum to participants over a 14-week period. They will take care of day-to-day operations at the co-working space, facilitate the programme and logistics, as well as provide other services for the participating teams.

CyLon Advisory Board
To support the founders and programme management team, the CyLon Advisory Board brings diverse expertise and helps to define the strategy and content of the programme. Its members currently include:

• Eileen Burbidge, a technology entrepreneur and an investing Partner in Venture Capital firm Passion Capital.
• Jon Bradford, MD of Techstars London, co-founder of Ignite and advisor on entrepreneurship and business acceleration.

^[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/internet-of-things-blackett-review