SecureCloud+ receives £5 million follow-on investment to support national security work

A West Midlands-based IT firm that provides specialist services to the defence and government sectors has secured a £5 million follow-on investment from Gresham House Ventures, along with changes to its senior leadership team.

SecureCloud+, headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent, supplies secure collaboration work environments to the UK’s defence and national security communities. Its systems support clients in securely sharing and analysing sensitive information across multiple sites.

The new investment from Gresham House Ventures, which first backed the business in 2018, will support continued development of the company’s flagship CWE platform. The focus will be on increasing automation and expanding the platform’s capabilities.

Since receiving its initial backing, SecureCloud+ has tripled its headcount and created a number of skilled roles at its Stoke-on-Trent base.

As part of its latest growth plans, SecureCloud+ is restructuring its senior leadership. Chief executive Greg Clarke will move into the role of executive chair, bringing 45 years of experience to the post. Founder Peter Williamson will become a non-executive director. Field Marshal Nick Houghton will remain as senior military adviser.

Clarke said: “Gresham House has been a longstanding supporter of SecureCloud+, and I’m thrilled to be co-investing with them to drive the next phase of our growth.

“Protecting the UK’s most sensitive information is a responsibility we take with the utmost seriousness. As a UK-owned SME proudly based in Stoke-on-Trent, this new funding will enable us to expand our operations, create more jobs, and continue serving the nation’s critical interests.”

The investment is one of several recent activities for Gresham House Ventures. The firm recently exited its investment in clinical trials business Panthera Biopartners and has backed companies including Scileads, ASK BOSCO and Penfold.

James Hendry, investment director at Gresham House Ventures, said: “SecureCloud+ has delivered impressive growth since our initial investment, growing its team and strengthening its offering of outstanding solutions for the defence sector.

“Now, with defence spending set to increase over the coming years, SecureCloud+ is ideally placed to build on its outstanding track record, so we are thrilled to be providing further support at this exciting time for the industry.”

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