UK cybersecurity startup Cytix raises €6 million Series A to tackle AI-driven software change risks

Cytix, a cybersecurity startup based in Manchester, has secured €6 million ($7 million) in Series A funding to address the cybersecurity risks associated with rapid software change. The investment round was led by Northern Gritstone, a UK venture capital firm that focuses on funding science and technology startups in the North of England, with participation from Auriga Cyber Ventures and NPIF II – PXN Equity Finance.

Cytix's CEO, Ben Armstrong, expressed gratitude for Northern Gritstone's belief in DeepTech companies with global ambitions. The company shares the view that software change has become a significant risk for organizations and that software developers need a scalable solution to keep up with the pace of development. Armstrong also acknowledged the existing investors' commitment and their increased confidence in the company's vision.

Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone, highlighted the surge in AI-assisted software development, which has led to a race to ensure secure software implementation. Cytix's platform aims to help enterprises assess the risk of change while allowing businesses to innovate. The company, founded in 2020, believes that software change is now a distinct risk for every organization due to AI-assisted development, agentic workflows, and continuous delivery, outpacing existing security models.

The funding will be used to launch Cytix's change risk platform, which aims to answer the questions posed by rapid software change: whether security should consider the change, what risk it introduces, and what actions are required. The platform will cater to customers in enterprise and regulated businesses, where change governance is a regulatory obligation. Customers can access the platform directly through Cytix or via its managed service partnerships with NCC Group and KPMG.

As Ben Armstrong concluded, "Software is changing. With AI-assisted development, change now happens at machine speed. Few security leaders have control over or understanding of those changes from a risk perspective. We launched Cytix's change risk management platform to gain control of that risk."