A fast-growing Leeds cybersecurity company has secured a six-figure loan from NPIF II – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II).
Xentra provides a full range of digital security solutions to clients including Leeds United FC, Leeds Bradford Airport, local councils, schools and NHS bodies. It is the third cyber venture from entrepreneur Henry Doyle, who previously co-founded both Altinet, the Leeds-based business that was sold to Arrow in 2020, and cyber training specialist Boxphish.
He acquired a majority stake in Xentra in January from the founder Marc Fairclough, who is now Chief Operating Officer. Since then they have led a growth drive, increasing the number of employees from two to 14 and winning a raft of high-profile clients. The team now plans to double the size of the business within the next 12 months. The funding will provide additional working capital to support its growth and create four to five new jobs by the end of this year.
Xentra assesses clients’ needs and recommends the right solutions to help them secure their networks and meet standards such as ISO 27001. It provides managed services ranging from 24-hour monitoring to firewalls, email security and storage and is a specialist in safeguarding, supporting schools and colleges with a total of around 125,000 pupils.
Henry Doyle, CEO of Xentra, said: “As cyber risks increase, every organisation needs security but with so many different technologies and new threats emerging all the time, building the right infrastructure is a team game. Our experts help clients choose the right solutions and create a safe working or learning environment. The funding will help us deliver our customer acquisition strategy and continue our rapid expansion.”
David Wright of Mercia Debt added: “Xentra is a one-stop shop for all of an organisation’s cybersecurity needs. Henry has done a remarkable job to achieve such rapid growth in a matter of months and has built a strong management team. The NPIF II funding will provide the working capital they need to take the business forward.”
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