Secure IA gets £500,000 fund injection

SECURE Information Assurance Holdings – which trades as Secure IA – has received a £500,000 venture capital investment from The North West Fund for Digital & Creative.

Based near Ribchester, Lancashire, Secure IA provides cutting-edge cyber and information security solutions to a range of public sector organisations and their contractors, alongside blue-chip private sector clients. It has recently begun to leverage this expertise into physical security systems following an acquisition in December 2014.

The company has long term relationships with a number of UK government departments including HMRC and the Ministry of Defence providing secure remote access over the internet to data storage and collaborative working environments. It is a market leader in high-security mobile remote access, allowing users to access information on the move via their own devices without risk of a security breach, even if the phone is lost or stolen.

Secure IA, led by chief executive Martin Knapp and Technical Director Steve Jewell, was bought out from Mycroft Talisen Inc in May 2013, with the support of investor and non-executive director Steve Hibbert.

Knapp said: “We are delighted to receive the investment from The North West Fund for Digital & Creative which is an endorsement of the growth we have achieved so far, with profits doubling in each of the last two years.”

Rupert Wingate-Saul, investment manager, AXM Venture Capital, which manages The North West Fund for Digital & Creative, added: “We are pleased to welcome Secure IA to the fund’s portfolio, demonstrating our ability to support not only early stage ventures, but also much more established companies. Cyber security is a major concern for both public and private sector organisations and the company combines deep expertise with an impressive track record for delivery to high-profile clients. Secure IA’s management team are immensely capable and we are confident will deliver further strong growth and job creation.”

The North West Fund for Digital & Creative is part of The North West Fund and is financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the European Investment Bank.