Cyber Runway
Offers United Kingdom cyber founders from seed to scale via specialist tracks, hands-on acceleration, and growth-facing support.
Cyber Runway is the largest cybersecurity accelerator in the United Kingdom, funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and delivered by Plexal, an innovation company based in London. The program runs annually and is structured into five distinct tracks to serve cybersecurity startups and SMEs at different maturity levels: Grow targets companies establishing foundational growth capabilities; Scale X targets high-growth startups removing barriers to scale; Ignite targets exceptional founders building leadership capabilities; NW Net Zero targets founders in the North West of England working at the intersection of cyber and net zero; and CNI targets companies securing critical national infrastructure, with six SMEs participating in its inaugural cohort. No cash grant is provided — support is entirely in-kind in the form of mentoring, investor access, engineering support, and masterclasses. Founders retain 100% of their intellectual property and equity.
Outcomes from the first cohort include 107 entrepreneurs and startups, with 86% of early-stage participants reporting useful connections made through the program. Later-stage participants recorded a 20% revenue increase and 22% headcount growth. The cohort was 45% female-led and 52% drawn from underrepresented backgrounds. Applications for the most recent cohort closed in early 2026; no next-cycle opening date had been published by May 2026.
To be competitive for Cyber Runway, applicants should demonstrate a UK nexus and a cybersecurity-specific product or service. The CNI track is particularly selective, targeting companies with proven solutions relevant to sectors such as energy, water, transport, and defense. Given the DSIT backing and Plexal's national innovation mandate, Cyber Runway carries reputational weight that supports follow-on funding conversations with UK-focused investors and government procurement.
Funds UK cybersecurity startups and SMEs across five tracks — from early growth to critical national infrastructure — through in-kind mentoring, investor access, and engineering support with no equity taken.
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