Xentra

Success Story 23 October 2024

A fast-growing Leeds cybersecurity company 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).

Region/Nation Yorkshire and Humber
Sector Information and Communication
Programme Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II
Partner
Group of 6 people standing together

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.