VC firm Osney Capital has closed a £50m debut fund, which will be geared towards investments in early-stage cyber security startups.
The UK cybersecurity industry generated more than £13bn in revenue in the 12 months to March 2025, up 12% on the previous year, according to government figures, driven in part by the growing sophistication of cyber attacks and mounting regulatory requirements for businesses.
London-based Osney brought the fund together with the backing of the British Business Bank, alongside investors such as East X Ventures, another investment group operating in the capital, and US-based IronGate, a defence-focused fund of funds.
Osney plans to invest in 30 portfolio companies at pre-seed and seed stage, writing cheques between £250k and £2.5m. The fund is accredited by the UK’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), meaning they have undergone significant government security vetting and demonstrated high-level technical capabilities.
“Our mission with this fund is to identify and back the next wave of UK cyber founders,” says Joshua Walter, founding partner at Osney. “Providing them with the specialist capital they need to build globally significant companies, products and technologies.”
Before setting up Osney, Walter worked as a director at Manchester-based cyber security company NCC Group. Cofounder Paul Wilkes worked as a consultant at offshore law firm Collas Crill, while fellow cofounder Adam Cragg was interim executive director of the University of Calgary in Canada.
The firm has previously invested in a small number of UK-based cyber startups, including Sheffield-based Sitehop and Manchester-based ESProfiler.
“Osney Capital’s fund is an opportunity for the UK to build on its strong advantage and excellence in cybersecurity,” says Dame Fiona Murray, a leading policy expert who serves on the UK’s Science and Innovation Council.
“The work of Osney Capital’s fund is a matter of national security, digital sovereignty and economic leadership.”
Read the orginal article: https://sifted.eu/articles/osney-capital-cyber-security-startup-vc/
