Early life for an aspiring techie entrepreneur
Growing up in a house of a computer scientist, Martin was exposed to early computers such as The Macintosh and IBM 8088. He took up programming and binary numbers before turning 10, and this early exposure led to technology becoming second nature. From the age of 18, Martin started teaching himself encryption algorithms and the mathematics behind key principles that are still used in Cybanetix today. Having always favoured Transport Tycoon over Wolfenstein 3D growing up, Martin’s future was always set out to be a techie (if you know, you know).
The Vision of Better Cybersecurity
Martin started Cybanetix in 2017 after spotting a shortage of high-quality cyber security services available in the market. The growing threat landscape, increasingly complex technology solutions and shortage of key talent was increasing risks for organisations who were often unable to access high-quality security services.
Since inception, Martin and Cybanetix have developed an ecosystem that leverages best in class technology, automation and machine learning to complement 24/7 high-velocity, high-quality security services that ultimately help enterprises protect themselves. This proposition has allowed Cybanetix to grow year after year; gaining the trust of increasing numbers of enterprise customers.
An ever-changing market
“As well as evolving ourselves, the market has been evolving rapidly with threats becoming more and more prominent. You only need to look at the increasing number of big breaches announced in the press. This is a major concern for organisations and their boards.”
It was important for Cybanetix to create a service offering that could keep up with the ever-evolving market demands and provide holistic monitoring and protection against everything: from an external attacker to internal users failing their organisations; to a lack of training, or a lack of technical capabilities. Not only have they achieved this, but Martin was able to build a brand and company culture that puts the customers first.
A customer first culture
Scaling this service profile was highly challenging. However, what made it easier was staying within the brand’s ethos – putting the customer and their security first. Cybanetix leverages automation and AI alongside a team of highly skilled UK security experts with an approach that is willing to go above and beyond for its customers. This combination of genuine care, relentless attention to detail and technical skill has become Cybanetix’s “magic dust.”
“You can pretty much only fail in security. You can never win because if you’re winning, it’s a boring day. Maintaining a great on-going security posture is like a game of “whack-a-mole”, if you keep knocking all the small issues that pop up, then you significantly reduce the risk of being subject of a bigger breach.”
Investing for the future
The founder journey is full of difficult choices and Martin’s journey has been no different. One particular challenge is when and how to make investments for the future – at Cybanetix this has been all about people and technology. “At the time it feels like a big decision and you need to get the timing right, but building out a motivated and experienced management team at Cybanetix was critical to enable us to continue to scale as quickly as we have done. For example, you can manage without a CFO as a small company, but you can’t take your business to the next level without one.”
Despite being the majority owner, Martin was also keen to challenge himself on the journey and established a non-executive board to provide constructive feedback and hold himself to account. “Our early non-executives added a lot of value to me as a founder, bringing in investors is the next iteration of this concept that has worked well for me and the business”.
Choosing the right partner
It is probably well known to everyone that the cybersecurity market is an attractive, high growth market. And over the years, Cybanetix has met with numerous interested buyers and investors.
“From the very early days it was evident that Phoenix had conducted thorough market research. They understood the differences in the various propositions available and had grasped the distinctions between us and other players in the market. It became clear to me that Phoenix were the types of people I could build a strong working relationship with. With an in depth understanding of the sector and alignment on the future growth opportunity; I was confident that Phoenix would make a great partner.”
With Phoenix’s support, Cybanetix are continuing to evolve and enhance their portfolio of security solutions to ensure they best address the growing cybersecurity challenges business’s face today. This collaboration marks a pivotal step for Cybanetix, driven by a shared commitment to protect and defend organisations with reliable, high-quality services. Together, Phoenix and Cybanetix are redefining cybersecurity and safeguarding the future.
