Celebrating the First‑Ever GCHQ Cyber Accelerator Graduate Batch
Today marks the triumphant finale of the GCHQ‑backed Cyber Accelerator, a joint effort between the UK intelligence agency, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, and Wayra UK. Seven cyber‑security start‑ups walked into a three‑month boot‑camp and left with contracts, corporate projects, and enough confidence to start a crowd‑funding storm.
What the Accelerator Drove
- Access to world‑class mentors, GCHQ veterans, and Telefónica’s seasoned tech wizardry.
- Off‑the‑shelf office space and a stack of high‑quality business services.
- Real‑world validation through government contracts and industry pilots.
Show‑stopping Wins
CyberOwl teamed with Cisco to zap data theft glitches before they slipped out, and scooped a 75,000‑pound Innovate UK grant. Elemendar turned human‑written threat reports into machine‑digestible facts, starting a contract that lets it keep building its AI brain. Spherical Defence launched a pilot with a mega‑payment player in India and is hunting a Silicon Valley investor for seed money.
Meanwhile, CyberSmart advanced from an MVP to a beta launch, landing its first clients. Verimuchme and CounterCraft refined their MVPs, secured mentorships, and positioned themselves for the UK market.
The Demo Day & Looking Ahead
During Exeter’s Demo Day, the founders pitched to stakeholders, investors, and eager tech fans. The trio—GCHQ, DCMS, and Wayra—hinted at a new call in 2017 for a longer, deeper acceleration program.
Notable Voices
Matt Hancock impressed: “Our Digital Strategy is to make the UK the safest online business haven, and this accelerator is the launch pad.”
Gary Stewart gushed: “It was a textbook success—perfect teeth to GCHQ’s expertise and Wayra’s strengths.”
Roadmap to a Cyber‑Secure Future
With the accelerator now a pillar of the Cheltenham Innovation Centre, the UK is stepping up its £22 billion cyber‑security sector, driving both exports and domestic safety. Fresh talent, fresh funding, fresh headlines—this isn’t just another success story, it’s the headline of tomorrow’s security headlines.
