CyberASAP selects 19 academic teams to advance to next stage in 2023/24 cohort

The Cyber Security Academic Startup Accelerator Programme (CyberASAP) has reached a milestone in its 2023/24 programme as it enters the Market Validation stage.

Nineteen academics have reached this new phase, having progressed through the development of their value propositions and evaluation by our expert panel. These teams will now move forward with the programme and take their research further.

Converting academic research into commercially viable products and services can be a formidable task, especially in the fiercely competitive UK cyber security market, which is valued at £8.9 billion according to the Government’s 2021 Cyber Sectoral Analysis report. Academic researchers must adapt to new tools and acquire additional skills to fully develop their ideas, assess their market potential, and capitalise on them.

Addressing this challenge head-on, CyberASAP plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between academic concepts and market-ready propositions. By providing expertise in commercialisation and offering guidance to academic teams, the programme equips cyber academics, who may lack entrepreneurial experience, with the necessary tools, techniques, and language to kickstart their journey toward commercial success.

During the intensive Bootcamp, these teams dedicated themselves to refining their cyber innovations and strengthening their foundations, setting the stage for future investments. Our experts guided the academic teams in developing their personal skills, building their personal and company brands. This included training sessions in PR and Communications with Ezkenzi PR, Digital Marketing with Taylor Communications, developing an elevator pitch with Anchored In, and honing networking skills with Will Kintish.

Robin Kennedy Co-Director of CyberASAP, emphasised the significance of effective communication for the participating teams, stating: “It’s exciting to witness the diversity and depth of technologies within this cohort. The next step for these teams is to effectively communicate their fantastic innovations and identify what truly sets them apart. It’s never too early to start enhancing your visibility, as it will aid in promotion and establish credibility when engaging with customers, stakeholders, and investors.”

The selected teams for the Market Validation phase are as follows:

• VPTaaS – University of Wolverhampton
• Data/AI Secure-by-Design Orchestration Platform (DAISOR) – University of Essex
• Cyber Hygiene Self-Assessment Maturity Tool – University of Essex
• DLT Cybersecurity Monitoring – University of Oxford
• Capable – Middlesex University
• TrueDeploy – Edinburgh Napier University
• Drive with Confidence – Nottingham Trent University
• SirenPod – Kingston University
• Vouchsec – University of Oxford
• FORENSIC – University of Essex
• HXAI-VDI – Cardiff University
• CyberHeels – University of Strathclyde
• Using synthetic data and unsupervised learning methods for malware detection –  University of Strathclyde
• ATM – University of Sheffield
• Speak-to-Secure (S2S) – De Montfort University
• Blockchain-based trusted platform for servers and devices security – Queen Mary University of London
• IoT Armor – The University of West London
• AI-bility 4D – Middlesex University
• PReSense: Privacy – Newcastle University

The journey for these teams continues with the Mid-Phase Review in the second stage of the Market Validation phase, where talks from industrial end-users will provide insights into their criteria for onboarding new cyber products and services. Following this review, a further selection process will identify the teams that will receive additional funding to develop their Proof of Concepts.

About CyberASAP

CyberASAP is supported by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and is delivered in partnership with Innovate UK KTN and Innovate UK. With six years of successful operation, the programme has attracted 116 academic teams from across the UK, with 57 teams successfully graduating. Notably, the programme’s alumni have collectively raised over £19 million in funding to advance their cyber innovations.

For more information on CyberASAP and its impact, please visit the programme’s website here. To support the programme or stay updated, interested individuals can provide their details on the website or follow CyberASAP on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news and developments.