Lancashire's YUDU wins £300,000 Innovate UK grant for cyber crisis tech
What's the deal? Lancashire cybersecurity firm YUDU has been awarded £295,000 through Innovate UKDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s Cyber Scale programme to develop technology that helps organisations manage incidents when their IT systems are down.
Why it stands out: YUDU was one of only 15 successful applicants from 143 bids, placing the grant in rare company. The award marks a milestone for a small firm working in a highly specialised sector.
What it does: YUDU has developed its Sentinel platform since 2018, giving organisations a secure way to communicate and manage incidents when usual IT systems are compromised or unavailable. The platform is used across financial services, government, and critical national infrastructure.
What's the endgame? The 12-month project, which began in September, will see YUDU work with SP Electricity North WestDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Lancaster UniversityDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → to further develop the platform. Part of the work explores how AI can support teams during a live incident — cutting administrative burden while helping maintain accurate records and meet reporting requirements.
The company stresses AI will support rather than replace human decision-making, with outputs reviewed and approved by people.
Why now? A cyber attack costs a UK business an average of £190,000, according to research cited by YUDU. The grant follows an earlier loan from RosebudDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, first received in 2020, and continues a relationship that has outlasted the original funding.
"Securing Innovate UK backing is a real endorsement of what we have been building since 2018," said chief executive officer Richard Stephenson. "As a relatively small Lancashire business working in a highly specialised sector, being selected through such a competitive process means a great deal."
The signal: Public grant funding remains a route for niche cybersecurity firms tackling infrastructure resilience — a growing priority as attacks on critical operators mount and the cost of downtime rises.
Read more: uk.headtopics.com
Image credit: Operate, Defend, Attack, Influence!
