Leeds-based cyber security specialist Xentra has secured £2.7 million in funding to drive growth and create new jobs. The company, founded in 2021, provides IT solutions focused on cyber security, safeguarding, and compliance for the education and SME sectors.
Customer Base and Services
Xentra currently serves over 90 customers, including Leeds United Football Club, Leeds Bradford Airport, Vista Technology Support, JT Atkinson, and education providers such as Shaw Education Trust. The company specializes in managed cyber security and digital protection services, offering subscription-based solutions that help organizations assess, implement, and manage their security infrastructure.
Investment Details
The funding round includes investment from the Maven VCTs and NPIF II - Maven Equity Finance, managed by Maven Capital Partners as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II). This capital will enable Xentra to accelerate growth through strategic initiatives, including key senior leadership appointments, new customer acquisition, and expanded engagement with existing clients. The firm will also invest in marketing activities and continue to enhance its technology.
Statements from Key Figures
Lewis Jones, investor at Maven, said: “Xentra operates in attractive and growing market with demand for outsourced, subscription-based cyber security driven by increasing cyber risk, regulatory standards and insurance requirements. Henry and the senior team have decades of experience in dealing with cyber vendors to allow them to find the right solutions for customers. The business has quadrupled ARR in the last two years alone across a customer database of over 90 and we’re delighted to invest at this time as the business continues to scale.”
Henry Doyle, CEO of Xentra, added: “This investment gives us the resources to accelerate our growth plans and strengthen every part of the business. We have built Xentra by focusing on what matters most; expert advice, responsive support and solutions that genuinely help our customers manage increasingly complex cyber security, compliance and safeguarding requirements. The funding will allow us to invest in our people, our technology and our customer experience, ensuring we continue to deliver the high levels of service now expected as we scale. We’re pleased to be partnering with Maven and NPIF II at this stage of our journey and look forward to building on what has already been a very strong few years.”
About NPIF II
NPIF II – Maven Equity Finance provides investments in the NPIF II area with a primary focus on the North East regions of Northumberland, Tyneside, Durham, South Teesside, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland, and Hartlepool. The £660 million Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II covers the entire North of England and offers loans from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million to help small and medium-sized businesses start up, scale up, or stay ahead. The fund aims to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the North of England. It also seeks to increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and helping to break down barriers in access to finance.
