The UK cyber security sector spans threat detection, identity and fraud prevention, security operations, compliance and training. Using Beauhurst data, we’ve ranked the top 100 UK-headquartered cyber security companies by the total amount of equity funding they have raised.
Across our wider cohort of 107 companies, £9.20b has been raised through 571 equity rounds. Thirteen companies have also exited — more than in any other sector in our Top 100 series.
This is not a ranking of the UK’s largest cyber security companies by revenue, customer numbers or market share. Instead, it shows which businesses have attracted the most equity investment — and what that tells us about the wider UK cyber security sector.
The UK cyber security sector
Cyber security covers the technologies and services used to protect systems, networks, data and people from digital attacks.
Some companies sell software directly to security teams. Others provide the identity checks, fraud prevention, compliance tools and training that sit around the core security stack.
Broadly, the companies in our analysis fall into three areas:
- Threat detection and response: software that identifies attacks, monitors networks and helps organisations respond to incidents.
- Identity, fraud and verification: technology that verifies users and detects fraudulent activity, particularly across financial services and online platforms.
- Security operations, compliance and training: platforms that help organisations manage risk, demonstrate compliance and improve employee security awareness.
On the Beauhurst platform, 94 of the 107 companies in the wider cohort are tagged with application software, while 93 are tagged with security and surveillance. Data provision and analysis applies to 40 companies, and risk and compliance to 24.
The sector has expanded considerably. There are 107 companies in the cohort today, compared with 48 at the end of 2015 — an increase of 123% over the decade.
However, new company formation has slowed. Nine companies in the cohort were founded in 2018 and another nine in 2022, compared with one in each of 2025 and 2026.
The cohort is also weighted towards later-stage businesses. Of the 107 companies, 47 are at growth stage and 21 are established. A further 18 are at venture stage and four at seed stage. Thirteen have exited and three are recorded as dead.
How much funding have UK cyber security companies raised?
Together, the companies in our analysis have raised £9.20b across 571 equity rounds.
BT leads the ranking with £1.00b in equity funding. It is a telecommunications group rather than a pure-play security company, but appears in the cohort through its security operations.
OneTrust follows with £699m, ahead of Snyk (£598m), GB Group (£568m) and Quantexa (£374m).
Funding is less concentrated than in several other sectors in our Top 100 series. BT accounts for 11% of the total, while the five highest-funded companies account for 35% and the top 10 for 48%.
Revenue, however, is dominated by the largest groups. BT reported £19.7b in its latest accounts and IT reseller Softcat £1.46b, followed by GB Group at £285m and Darktrace at £234m.
Cyber security exits in the UK
Thirteen companies in the cohort have exited — the highest figure in our Top 100 series and ahead of biotech and pharma, which records eight.
Recent acquisitions include Tessian (£97.0m), Onfido (£176m), Privitar (£122m), Digital Shadows (£59.0m), Garrison (£54.7m), Cado Security (£25.2m) and Ava Security (£28.2m).
Many of the buyers are larger US security vendors. This helps explain why relatively few UK cyber security companies remain independent long enough to reach established stage.
Three companies are recorded as dead on Beauhurst: OneTrust, Snyk and Nasstar Group. OneTrust and Snyk continue to trade after relocating their operations to the United States, so these classifications reflect the end of their UK growth journeys rather than business failure.
Who invests in UK cyber security companies?
Unlike several sectors in this series, UK cyber security funding is led by institutional venture capital rather than crowdfunding platforms.
AlbionVC and IQ Capital Fund are the most active investors in the cohort, participating in 20 rounds each. They are followed by Octopus Ventures with 16 rounds, Accel with 14 and MMC Ventures with 13.
By value, the largest participants are international growth investors. Coatue Management has participated in rounds worth a combined £900m, followed by Insight Partners at £865m, Accel at £718m and Salesforce Ventures at £691m.
Where are the UK’s cyber security companies?
London dominates the ranking, accounting for 61 of the top 100 companies. The South East follows with 10, while the North West has seven.
The South West and East of England have five companies each, with the latter including Cambridge-based Darktrace and Featurespace.
Overall, the sector reaches 11 UK regions, including companies in Wales, Northern Ireland and both Scottish regions.
There are also smaller regional clusters around specific businesses and expertise. Manchester, for example, is home to PortSwigger, Lunio and Paydock.
