If there is someone you would like to add to the list, please email us directly. Please see our shortlist below!
Xavier Bellekens – Lupovis
Lupovis is a University of Strathclyde cyber-security spin-out which specialises in cyber-deception. Lupovis has created a dynamic deception solution that leads cyber attackers and ransomware away from high value assets, delivering a pro-active defence which turns the ‘hunter into the hunted’.
Lupovis recently secured a pre-seed investment of over £615,000 from a syndicate co-led by Techstart Ventures, a leading investor of seed capital and Nauta Capital, a leading pan-European venture capital firm together with an investment by the University of Strathclyde itself. Founded in June 2021, the funding means Lupovis is one of Scotland’s fastest growing cybersecurity start-ups and it plans to use the investments to expand its team and enhance further functionalities within the platform.
Lupovis deploys a network of collaborative decoys to lure attackers away from assets, whether it be personal data or sensitive information, or to stop hackers trying to shut down systems to damage business continuity. Lupovis, an amalgamation of the Latin words for wolf (lupus) and sheep (ovis), offers the attacker incentives that steer them on a certain path. Once an adversary has penetrated a network, the system entices them by creating an offensive deception environment, which engages the attacker from the minute a move is made within the network.
The system uses artificial intelligence to create scenarios which mirror the existing infrastructure of an organisation and engages the attacker into believing they are progressing towards assets of value. This puts Lupovis in a unique position where it has unrivalled data on attacker techniques, methods and behaviour. It will feed this data into the platform, so customers will always remain one step ahead of attackers, predicting their next move, long before they actually make it. The system also responds dynamically to the behaviour and skills level of the attacker by using incentives and gamifying the vulnerabilities that engage the hacker.
Amit Raj – The Links Guy
The Links Guy is a growing SEO agency that specialises in link building and digital PR campaigns. Despite being a UK-based company, they have a fully-remote international team and have worked with clients from across the world – ranging from large eCommerce brands and Silicon Valley startups to medium sized SaaS and tech companies.
Amit and the team at TLG have been able to bring things back to basics for many clients when helping them build links and drive organic traffic and revenue – all with one simple concept in mind – building relationships through personalised outreach.
Overreporting, over promising, low quality work or meaningless metrics are rife in the SEO industry, and they strive to keep jargon to a minimum and be upfront and honest with clients , rather than just anything that gets them the contract.
Amit had actually been a qualified pharmacist since 2008, and during that time he worked in the community, managed large teams in the pharmacy sector and was involved in large scale dispensing operations – however, he always had a keen interest in marketing. He cut his teeth by taking notes and training under some mentors and experts in the digital marketing industry, before starting off as a freelance link builder in 2015. From there he slowly gained some recognition due to the quality results he was securing for clients over the years. The company grew from strength to strength and was rebranded to “The Links Guy” in 2021.
If there is someone you would like to add to the list, please email us directly.
