Selling your business is one of the most significant milestones in an entrepreneur’s journey. However, even the most attractive businesses can falter during due diligence if they are not properly prepared. This stage is where buyers scrutinize every aspect of your business to evaluate risks, verify claims, and confirm the value they’re willing to pay.
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Building a successful startup requires more than just a great idea—it takes execution, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to understanding your customers. This was the key takeaway from the recent Cyber Runway Founders Fireside session with Ashu Savani, co-founder of TryHackMe, a cybersecurity training platform that has grown into a 20-million-dollar revenue business without any external investment.
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This Cyber Runway Scale session focused on preventing burnout in startup teams, addressing the mental and physical toll of high-growth environments. Experts shared strategies for work-life balance, team resilience, and sustainable leadership to ensure long-term success in cybersecurity startups.
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Chris from Intruder joined the Cyber Runway: Scale Founders Fireside session to share his journey in building a successful cybersecurity startup. The conversation explored the challenges of product development, securing investment, and adapting to industry shifts while growing a cyber business.
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When it comes to planning an exit, understanding your business’s value—and the factors that drive it—is essential. Whether you’re preparing for a trade sale, IPO, or private equity investment, the right focus on valuation drivers can significantly enhance your outcomes. In this article, we explore the key components of valuation, strategies to improve them, and common pitfalls to avoid.
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B2B sales is challenging, now more than ever. Tightening budgets, economic uncertainty, and an increasingly competitive landscape mean sales teams must be more strategic than ever in how they generate and sustain momentum. In a recent Cyber Runway session, Tom Glason, CEO of ScaleWise, shared insights on optimizing B2B sales strategies. With over 20 years of experience in B2B tech and leadership roles across startups and scaleups, Tom provided a roadmap for improving sales processes, from effective discovery calls to engaging product demos.
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Neurodiversity is a vital consideration in cybersecurity, with one in five professionals in the industry identifying as neurodivergent. This article, based on a Cyber Runway: Scale session led by a Plexal Innovation Associate, explores the importance of neurodiversity, common misconceptions, and practical ways to support neurodivergent employees while maximizing their unique strengths.
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This article summarizes key announcements and discussions from the latest Cyber Runway: Scale session, including updates on the new Founders Forum, upcoming trade missions, regional events, and opportunities for startups to engage with investors and government stakeholders.
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When planning your business exit, selecting the right type of transaction is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make. Each exit type comes with its opportunities, challenges, and suitability based on your goals and the stage of your business. In this article, we’ll explore the key exit types, trade sale, Initial Public Offering (IPO), private equity (PE), and management buyout (MBO), and help you identify which might be the best fit for your business.
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Every business journey eventually leads to a crossroads: the decision to continue growing, transition ownership, or step away entirely. An exit strategy is your blueprint for navigating this critical phase, allowing you to realize the value of your hard work while setting the stage for future success, whether yours or the business’s.
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This article explores alternatives to Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) for organizations seeking innovation and strategic growth without directly investing in startups. Drawing insights from a Cyber Runway: Scale Accelerator Programme session, it outlines ten key strategies, including internal R&D, mergers and acquisitions, open innovation, and academic collaborations. Each approach is analyzed for its advantages and drawbacks, providing a comprehensive guide to help organizations tailor their innovation strategies based on their goals, resources, and risk tolerance.
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Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) is a strategic approach where corporations invest directly in startup companies. It blends the agility of venture capital with the strategic intent of established businesses. This article explores the history, benefits, drawbacks, and a step-by-step guide to leveraging CVC effectively.
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Andy Budd’s The Growth Equation examines how businesses, especially startups and scale-ups, can achieve sustainable growth by balancing expansion with operational stability. Budd identifies three key components of sustainable development: Product Market Fit, Efficient Operations, and Strategic Adaptability. The book offers actionable advice, including cultivating a learning culture, aligning growth with team capacity, and investing in leadership and culture.
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This article summarizes key insights from a panel of experienced investors, Andy Budd (Seedcamp), Joseph Aziz (True Global), and Andy Ayim MBE (Angel Investing School), on navigating the fundraising journey. The discussion covers strategies for targeting the right investors, achieving product-market fit, and leveraging alternative funding sources, including corporate venture capital (CVC). Founders are advised to focus on why their team and timing are right, build strategic partnerships, and understand geographical and cultural differences in risk appetite. The panel emphasizes practical, actionable advice for founders to secure funding and build resilient businesses.
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Lucy Bulley joined the Cyber Runway Scale programme to discuss the critical elements of team-building and organisational structure when preparing for Series A funding. She shared practical insights on hiring strategies, leadership development, and scaling operations to support high-growth cybersecurity startups.
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This article explores the principles and practices of GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles), inspired by discussions on financial transparency and standardisation in accounting. It outlines the key features of GAAP, such as accrual-based accounting, comprehensive reporting, and compliance, while addressing its benefits in fostering investor trust and comparability across industries. The article also discusses the challenges businesses face in implementing GAAP and the potential solutions, such as affordable tools, to ease the transition. By balancing its advantages and hurdles, the article underscores the critical role of GAAP in business growth and strategic exits.
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Planning a successful business exit requires foresight, preparation, and a clear strategy. This article provides a structured roadmap to help businesses optimise their value, mitigate risks, and prepare for smooth transitions, whether through trade sales, private equity (PE), or IPOs. This guide distils complex processes into actionable advice tailored to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). It covers essential aspects like valuation drivers, transaction types, due diligence, and benchmarking while addressing common challenges faced by founders during the exit process.
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In this Cyber Runway Scale session, Tom Glason and Munya Hoto of ScaleWise shared insights into how startups can leverage marketing to attract investment and strategic partnerships. The discussion covered branding, lead generation, and digital strategies that drive deal flow for early-stage cyber companies.
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This article summarises Nicole Bucala’s insights on building effective partnerships in the fragmented cybersecurity industry, shared during the Cyber Runway: Scale programme. It explores key strategies, including sell-through, sell-with, and ecosystem integrations, alongside practical advice for startups on fostering relationships, creating mutual value, and timing partnerships effectively.
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As part of the Cyber Runway Scale programme, Luke Wilson Mawer shared his experiences as a founder and discussed the challenges of scaling a cybersecurity startup. The session explored lessons learned, growth strategies, and the importance of resilience in a founder’s journey.
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