Tag Archives: entrepreneurship

Innovation Canvas Example 3 – West Midlands Cyber Working Group (WM CWG)

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The West Midlands Cyber Working Group (WM CWG) is a collaborative, region-wide forum uniting cyber leaders from business, academia, government, and civil society. It facilitates quarterly convenings, shared strategy development, and joint funding bids to strengthen the regional cyber ecosystem. Operating as an open, grassroots-led group, WM CWG is aligned with DSIT goals, WMCA priorities, and the UK Cyber Strategy. It seeks to drive investment, skills, and coordination through regional initiatives. Here’s an example “innovation Canvas” for the WM CWG.

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Innovation Canvas Example 2 – Psyber Inc.

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Psyber Inc. applies psychology to cybersecurity, developing behavioural risk dashboards that assess human factors behind cyber threats. Built on academic research in cyberpsychology, the platform translates user sentiment, stress, and behavioural data into actionable cyber risk insights. Psyber Inc. is led by a neurodivergent, female founder and focuses on ethical, responsible AI. It addresses rising demand for insider threat detection, resilience measurement, and human-centric cyber tools across defence, education, and enterprise. Here’s an example “innovation Canvas” for Psyber Inc.

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A Critical History of Techstars and the Evolution of the Accelerator Model

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This article traces the emergence of Techstars within the broader history of startup accelerators, examining its strategic differences from Y Combinator, its influence on regional and vertical innovation models, and its role as an institutional entrepreneur in shaping the global accelerator movement. It analyses the evolution from incubators to modern accelerators and critically reflects on Techstars’ legacy in ecosystem building and innovation finance.

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Innovation Canvas Example 1 – Cyber Tzar

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Cyber Tzar is a SaaS platform providing advanced cyber risk quantification for enterprise supply chains. It delivers cyber risk scoring, benchmarking, and compliance assessment through big data analytics, AI, and proprietary IP. Its “credit score for cyber” approach supports better risk visibility for insurers, CISOs, and supply chain managers. Cyber Tzar is revenue-generating, scaling through strategic partnerships, and aligned with DORA, ISO 27001, and other regulatory frameworks. Here’s an example “innovation Canvas” for Cyber Tzar.

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How to Create and Use an Innovation Canvas (and Why It Matters)

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Innovation is often portrayed as spontaneous and unpredictable. But behind every meaningful breakthrough lies a structured process. Whether you’re launching a new product, transforming a service, or reimagining your organisation’s direction, clarity and rigour are critical.

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Scaling Cyber: A Startup Founder’s Journey from Idea to Exit

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This virtual book is a guide to the entrepreneurial journey, drawn from real-world experiences in cyber startups. It distils insights from my time on the NCSC for Startups accelerator (cohort 13, 2023), the DSIT Cyber Runway Scale programme (2024/2025), and my mentoring on DSIT’s Cyber ASAP programme. It’s a collection of lessons, reflections, and hard-earned knowledge from the founders, investors, and industry leaders I’ve met along the way. Thanks to Marcel Duchamp you can think of it as a “ready made”, a curated work built from my blog articles, assembled to help you navigate the path from startup to scale, and beyond.

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Cyber Runway: Scale 4.0 – Key Updates and Opportunities for Startups – New Year Briefing Notes

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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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Corporate Venture Capital (CVC): A Comprehensive Guide

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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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The Growth Equation by Andy Budd: Summary, Key Advice, and Critique

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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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Summary of Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

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Rework by Jason Fried and DHH flips traditional business advice on its head, championing simplicity, adaptability, and pragmatic action over rigid plans and corporate norms. Perfect for entrepreneurs, startups, and creative professionals, the book offers sharp insights on working smarter, embracing constraints, and focusing on what truly matters in building a sustainable business.

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From Startup to Scale: Lessons from Luke Wilson Mawer on Cyber Growth and Leadership

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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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The Power Law in Venture Capital: A Deep Dive into Sebastian Mallaby’s Insights

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In this insightful blog article, we dive into Sebastian Mallaby’s The Power Law, which explains how venture capitalists operate in a world of high risks, where a small number of winning startups provide massive returns that outweigh the majority of failures. Through a blend of storytelling, research, and critical analysis, this review highlights the triumphs and pitfalls of the venture capital industry, offering suggestions for a more ethical and inclusive future. If you’re intrigued by the intersection of finance, tech innovation, and global economics, this article is a must-read.

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Revisiting the Cloud Computing Panel at Julie Meyer’s Entrepreneur Country: Reflections 15 Years On

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This article revisits a 2009 cloud computing panel discussion at the ‘Entrepreneur Country’ event, hosted by Julie Meyer, examining how the ideas and predictions shared during the event have influenced the evolution of cloud computing over the past 15 years. It reflects on the entrepreneurial context of the time, the adoption and maturity of cloud services, legal and regulatory challenges, and the future vision for cloud technology, offering insights into the lessons learned and their relevance today.

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